Following two separate but interconnected activities on heritage conservation in the Diocese of Dumaguete, parishes are now urged to start doing their individual inventories on relics, artifacts, and other items of heritage and historical value.
Msgr. Julius Perpetuo S. Heruela, chairman of the Commission on Church Cultural Heritage of the Diocese of Dumaguete and parish priest of the St. Augustine of Hippo Parish in nearby Bacong town, stressed on Monday afternoon the importance of undertaking an inventory of these items before other activities, such as putting up a museum, can commence.
“Dako pa ang trabahoon ani, pero at least naa na kitay igo nga kaalam ug background unsaon nato pag preserbar ug protektar sa maong mga kabtangan sa simbahan (There’s still a lot to do but at least we now have enough knowledge and background on the preservation and protection of church properties),” he said.
“Mao nga naningkamot kita nga maka imbitar ug mga resource speakers ug experts para sa training ug lectures aron kita adunay giya sa pag conserve sa mga ecclesial items (That is why we endeavored to invite resource speakers and experts for training and lectures on the conservation of ecclesial items),” he added.
Heruela was referring to two recent activities undertaken by the Diocese of Dumaguete and its Commission on Church Cultural Heritage with their partners.
Last Sept. 4, three renowned resource persons were invited over to speak on church heritage conservation and the mechanics on putting up a museum during a symposium in Bacong.
They were Fr. Milan Ted Torralba, a canon lawyer from Bohol who trained in world heritage sites management at the UN Institute for Training & Research in Japan; Prof. Regalado Trota Jose, archivist of the University of Sto. Tomas and professor at the Cultural Heritage Studies Program of the same university, who has researched and written for more than 30 years on cultural heritage in the Philippines; and Prof. Eric Zerrudo, director of the University of Sto. Tomas Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and the Environment in the Tropics.
Last month, a five-day intensive conservation training was also held here with experts from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines coming over to share their expertise on the handling and conservation of heritage items, both moveable and non-moveable, with no less than NHCP Chairman Dr. Rene Escalante in attendance during the opening.
With all this having taken place, Heruela said “we are now ready to take the next steps, beginning with the inventory,” which, according to him, can be undertaken by the parish workers/pastoral councils with the supervision of their respective parish priests.
Meanwhile, for parishes that may not be able to afford putting up a museum, they can put up a gallery instead at a designated area in the convent, according to the clergyman.
It is not necessary that all parishes put up a museum because as the resource speakers from last week’s symposium had said, it is costly, tedious and requires manpower and logistics, he said.
For now, those who have already trained in heritage conservation can start their inventories and submit these to the diocese so that there would also be records at the diocesan level, Heruela added.
The Diocese of Dumaguete covers the towns and cities of Negros Oriental (excluding La Libertad, Vallehermoso and Canlaon City which belong to the Diocese of San Carlos) and the nearby province of Siquijor. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
