By Christina Hermoso The year-long restoration work on tree historic churches in Dumaguete has finally been completed with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) officially turning over the churches to the Diocese of Dumaguete during rites held recently. (MSGR. JULIUS HERUELA VIA CBCP NEWS / MANILA BULLETIN) Dumaguete Bishop Julito Cortes presided over a mass and led the ceremonial turn over and the re-dedication of the churches. Monsignor Julius Heruela, chairman of the Diocese of Dumaguete’s Commission on Church Cultural Heritage said the restored churches gave them a “sense of our history because the churches were restored close to the original structure. It also gave us a sense of our faith because it helps us remember our elders as they worship in these churches,” Heruela said in a Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News post. “The restoration of the historic churches is a delicate process since the project needs to be faithful to the original design of the structures. There were a lot of researches done to keep the materials used and the design close to the original,” he added. The churches restored were the St. Isidore the Farmer Parish Church in Lazi, the St. Nicholas of Tolentino Parish Church in Dauin, and the St. Isidore the Farmer Parish Church in Zamboanguita. Restoration work started in 2018 with a government grant through the NHCP of almost P70 million. Of the amount, P40 million was allotted for the Lazi church, P20 million for the Dauin church, and P10 million for the Zamboanguita church. The NHCP will add the three churches to its National Registry of Historic Sites and Structures. The National Museum of the Philippines earlier declared the St. Isidore the Famer Church in Lazi as a National Cultural Treasure.  It is also a nominee in the UNESCO World Heritage list of Baroque Churches of the Philippines.