THE San Juan Nepomuceno Parish church in San Remigio, Cebu province. (Facebook)
CEBU CITY – Can the San Juan Nepomuceno Parish church in San Remigio town, Cebu province still be repaired?
The parish issued a statement on Monday, Nov. 17, rectifying its previous announcement that the 161-year-old church is already unrepairable due to the severe damage it sustained during the Sept. 30 magnitude-6.9 earthquake.
“After careful study, thorough inspections, and prayerful deliberation with heritage specialists, engineers, and our parish officials, it has been concluded that repairing the church is no longer viable,” the parish said in a previous statement.
The parish issued a statement on Monday retracting their previous announcement while apologizing “for any confusion or concern the earlier announcement may have caused.”
With the guidance of the parish priest and parochial vicar and “in obedience to the proper ecclesiastical,” the previous announcement posted on the parish’s Facebook page has been taken down.
The parish said the Archdiocese of Cebu will review and discern the appropriate course of action regarding the structural condition of the church.
In its retracted statement, the parish said assessments from engineers, heritage experts, and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau revealed extensive cracking, compromised structural elements, and the presence of sinkholes and cavities beneath the church flooring.
Parish specialists said that the church could no longer be safely repaired and that restoring the old building may only endanger the faithful.