STUNNING LIGHT-GREEN COLORED STEEL CHURCH – The Minor Basilica of San Sebastian or San Sebastian Church, with its twin spires towering over residences, schools, and commercial buildings. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila via Facebook)

The San Sebastian Church stands as a landmark along Bilibid Viejo and San Rafael streets in Quiapo, with its twin spires towering over schools, residences, and other commercial buildings. The church is situated at Plaza del Carmen, where the Black Nazarene makes a quick stop during traslacion for the “dungaw” tradition, where the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is brought out of the church to “view” the statue of the Black Nazarene.

The San Sebastian Church, or the Minor Basilica of San Sebastian, built in 1891, was in the news recently because Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua sought to have the church designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be able to fund its full restoration.

Chua said the church structure is showing signs of damage from rust.

RICH IN HISTORY

The church was designed by Genaro Palacios, then the director of Public Works of the Spanish Insular government, according to the World Monuments Fund (WMF). Its steel structure was formed by 1,527 tons of steel all manufactured in Binche, Belgium. It took two years for local craftsmen to put together the steel to form church walls and spires.

Inside the church, 34 painted glass windows still command awe from visitors and church goers. Those were all imported from the Henri Oidtmann Company in Germany. Meanwhile, the interior of the church was designed by the school of Lorenzo Rocha.

The church we see today, though, is not the original structure. The first church was opened to the public in May 1621, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila - San Sebastian Church website. Earlier structures erected in the site were destroyed by earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and 1880, according to a historical marker posted in front of the church by the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee.

Because of natural calamities, the Recollect friars decided to use steel in rebuilding the church to withstand earthquakes and fires and prevent termites, said Fr. Rene Paglinawan in an Agustinos Recoletos video.

RESTORING SAN SEBASTIAN

In August 2022, Chua filed House Bill (HB) 3750 or the proposed " Quiapo Heritage Zone Act," seeking to declare Quiapo as a National Heritage Zone, which includes two historic churches: San Sebastian Church and Quiapo Church or Minor Basilica of Black Nazarene.
The push to create a Quiapo Heritage Zone recently got a nod from the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture. A substitute bill to HB 3750 was approved by the house panel which incorporated amendments and a committee report to the bill.

WORLD HERITAGE LIST

To be part of the World Heritage List, a site must show outstanding universal value and meet one of the 10 selection criteria, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention (WHC) website.

The Philippines begins the process by creating a tentative list of all important sites in the country. From the list, it selects nominees for inclusion and submits a nomination file to the World Heritage Centre for review.

UNESCO WHC stated that the prestige of the inclusion “often helps raise awareness among citizens and governments for heritage preservation." It added that a "country may also receive financial assistance and expert advice from the World Heritage Committee to support activities for the preservation of its sites.”

In the Philippines, only six properties are in the list since 1978: Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Historic City of Vigan, and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. There are currently 1,157 world heritage sites around the world.