The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu and the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu will be declared as "National Cultural Treasure" by the National Museum of the Philippines this April, in time with the celebration of the "500 Years of Christianity" in the country.
This was announced by National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairperson Rene R. Escalante during the launching of the three-part webinar "Bound By History: Magellan, Santo Niño and the Beginning of the Augustinian Evangelization."
Escalante, who is also the concurrent executive director of the National Quincentennial Committee (NQC), said the declaration is set on April 14, 2021, the D-Day of the Catholic Church's celebration of the 500th anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines.
The NHCP said National Cultural Treasures must possess unique structures and items with outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific qualities, significant to the culture of the country.
The Basilica was the first founded church in the Philippines in 1565 and has been designated by the Holy See as the "Mother and Head of All Churches in the Philippines" in 1965.
It is the ninth Augustinian-built church to be declared a National Culture Treasure following Bacarra Church in Ilocos Norte, Boljoon Church also in Cebu, St. Joseph the Patriarch Church in Batangas, San Agustin Church in Manila, San Joaquin Church in Iloilo, Santa Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, and Miagao Church in Panay.
Meanwhile, its image of Sto. Niño is the oldest catholic religious relic in the Philippines. It was the same image given by Ferdinand Magellan to the queen of Cebu in 1521.
According to Escalante, the 500 Years of Christianity is only one of the 34 major milestones of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines.
"A major factor to this is the fact that majority of the Filipino population is Roman Catholic. This is a clear manifestation of how well-entrenched the Christian faith in the consciousness of our countrymen, especially the Filipino Catholic faithful," he said.
"Nevertheless, the NQC supports the academic, cultural, and historical aspects of the 500 Years of Christianity as an integral part of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines, which is our branding for all the quincentennials happening this 2021 in the Visayas, Palawan, and Mindanao," Escalante added.
The NHCP chair also gave a glimpse of what to expect in the celebration of the 500 Years of Christianity, which will include the exhibit and documentary produced by the commission and the Philippine Embassy in Lisbon to highlight the role of the Santo Niño in Philippine history and culture.
" the emphasis of 500 Years of Christianity in celebrating the journey of Christian Filipinos in the last 500 years as Filipino-centric in point of view. I wish the success of the 500 Years of Christianity and the Santo Niño at 500 Years," he said.