Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Manuel Lapid. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
MANILA鈥擳wo senators have filed resolutions seeking a Senate study on how the country could protect its cultural and historical landmarks from earthquakes and typhoons.
Senate Resolutions 313 and 317 filed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Sen. Manuel Lapid, respectively, both seek the formulation of a national policy to protect heritage sites from natural calamities in the wake of the earthquake that wreaked havoc on Bohol and Cebu last Oct. 15.
Centuries-old Catholic churches were among those that the earthquake heavily damaged in both provinces.
鈥淎mong the earthquake鈥檚 reported casualties were the churches of Loboc聽 and Baclayon, two of the local churches that were once considered for the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage list,鈥� Santiago said in one of her resolution鈥檚 premises.
Santiago said both churches were built by Jesuit priests.聽 She said the Loboc church was originally built in 1602 and reconstructed in 1638 while the Baclayon church was completed in 1727 using coral stones cut into square blocks and piled on top of each other with bamboo tools and cemented using egg whites.
鈥淭he Loboc church, which houses a 19th century pipe organ, is classified as a baroque church and submitted for inclusion in the World Heritage list in 2006,鈥� Santiago said.
Santiago also cited the damage the earthquake caused on Cebu鈥檚 16th century Basilica of the Holy Child, 鈥渨hich lost its bell tower.鈥�
Santiago said there was a need for Congress to look into the actions taken by the local government units of Bohol and Cebu as well as by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Historical Institute 鈥渙n the聽 preservation and retrofitting of old buildings and landmarks because these are irreplaceable monuments of Philippine history.鈥�
Lapid, in his resolution, said there was a need to ascertain whether policies and programs should be initiated to ensure that the country鈥檚 cultural and historical treasures 鈥渁re resilient to disasters鈥� and to determine聽 up to what extent they can be made 鈥渄isaster-proof.鈥�
鈥淭here is a need聽 to craft further legislation that may aid in the preservation and conservation of our cultural and historical landmarks, as they sit precariously against natural disasters and to address the resulting loss brought about by any damage that may be suffered by them, as highlighted by this unfortunate calamity,鈥� Lapid鈥檚 resolution said.