Philippines Earthquake Damages Historic Churches

LOON, Philippines  -- The earthquake that killed at least 156 people in the central Philippines also took its toll on the region's historical and religious legacy by heavily damaging a dozen or more churches, some centuries old.
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As rescuers reached some of the hardest-hit areas and the death toll from Tuesday's quake rose, images of the wrecked religious buildings resonated across a nation where 80 percent of the population is Roman Catholic.
The bell tower toppled from Cebu city's 16th-century Basilica of the Holy Child — a remnant of the Spanish colonial era and the country's oldest church building — becoming a pile of rubble in the courtyard.
Other churches on the neighboring island of Bohol, epicenter of the quake and a popular tourist destination known for its beaches, were also damaged, some beyond repair.
"The heritage old churches are also very close to the hearts of the Boholanos," said Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto, using the term for residents of the island.

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He said Wednesday that authorities would attempt to restore the churches but some may never return to their former state.
"Every piece of the church should be left untouched so that restoration efforts can be easier," he said. "It may not be a total restoration, but closest to what it used to be before."
Emilia Dalagan was sweeping grass outside her home near the 300-year-old church called Our Lady of the Assumption Shrine in Dauis on the resort island of Panglao, near Bohol, when the ground shook.
"The funeral car was crushed by falling debris from the front of the church. The driver was able to get out," she said.
The back, front and the right wing of the church were destroyed. The structure is said to be made from corals cemented together with egg white.
Tuesday was a national holiday in the Philippines celebrating the Muslim feast of Eid ul Adha, which meant schools, offices and other buildings that also were damaged by the quake were empty at the time, which saved many lives.
"That is our only consolation," said Bohol provincial health officer Reymoses Cabagnot.
Gay Flores had just woken up in her two-story house in the town of Carmen when the 7.2-magnitude quake struck at 8:15 a.m., sending shock waves across the picturesque island —and knocking her off her feet.


Link:http://www.weather.com/news/philippine-earthquake-damages-historic-churches-20131016