Movement To Save The 18th Century Pandan Church From Greedy Developers

Submitted by maria on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 1:34pm

I want to start this with a little bit of history from my recollection of when I was a kid. My deceased mother, retired district superintendent Leonor Sabeniano Lopez-Herrrera, and my maternal Grandmother Rosario Sabeniano- Lopez (affectionately known in our hometown as Manay Charing), told me that the small land outside the church premises belonged to our family. My grandmother never donated the land but she never claimed it either. My grandmother instead asked people to plant flowers and bushes. Since then, townspeople have enjoyed that area as a flower sanctuary. Her wishes as I recall were that no one should build a structure that will obstruct the view of the church and that particular place should remain as a flower sanctuary forever.

After 19 years of not visiting my hometown. I was surprised and saddened that the flower sanctuary had disappeared. Instead, two building structures are in the process of being built--- one built for senior citizens, and the barangay hall for Libod. As you can see in the picture above, the two buildings painfully obscure the view of the beautiful 18th century church.

There is now another proposal to build a public library on the premises of the church, when there is already a school library nearby which could be renovated. Why build another eyesore? To build again and further destroy the premises of the church would be to blatantly disrespect Pandananons’ cultural heritage. We Pandananons should join hands to preserve the only remaining beautiful architectural structure left for our younger generations to see. We should act now to demand that the current eyesores be removed, and prevent this new mistake of the greedy developers before it is too late.

- Teresa Herrera-Cyrenne

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Just Few Comments to Make

Submitted by frankadelarosa on Sat, 02/05/2011 - 3:32am.

My name is Frank A. De La Rosa, a husband of a lady from Pandan named Maria Gracia Eubra Garcia, who presently reside in Florida, USA. Maritess & Pinky Herrera are both from Pandan and they are both specially concerned about their native hometown of Pandan. My wife and I are both concerned of their flight for help in their crusade to keep the old church and keep away all the eyesores around and beside the church ground, to keep the church freely standing there with all its beauty for the Greater Glory of God. As one of the two remaining Old Churches of Catanduanes, built during the 18th century by our forefathers, we felt and we believed that the Old Pandan Church should be kept and maintaned for the sake of the coming generations. Our old civilization all started from that old church. Our forefathers sacrificed and suffered so much for many years in the old crude way to build that church from limestones, shells, eggs, and any native materials they could find to make the mixture. We have to respect their sacrifices and sufferings just to build that church for us, for us all to become good Christians, and to progress onward in all our endeavors for the good of our family, community, and our beloved province of Catanduanes. Our old church in Payo had been demolished, and I really felt so sad about it. So therefore, while there's still something we can do to save The Old Pandon Church, let's do it in unity for the Greater Glory of God. It's a historic wealth! It's a historic landmark! It's a historic memory! It's a beautiful work of art! Let's all save it, for Pandan, for Catanduanes, for our beloved Philippines, and for all the Christian world. With God there's nothing impossible to accomplish. Mabalos sana saindong gabos. May God bless us all - always.

Pandan Church

Dave's picture
Submitted by Dave on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 9:57pm.

Hana'nong... una tayon daw ta dian yan ibinutang!
However, the article failed to show how the developers are greedy.

Do we have a better picture? Is the building inside the church patio?

Hmmm... I agree that the structure indeed obstruct the beautiful view of the equally beautiful church!

Na mga kapandananonan, ano to....

Re: failed to show how the developers are greedy

Submitted by maria on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 10:37pm.

Anytime you put money ahead of social values that indicates greed.....

Sa sakong hurop-hurop

Submitted by pangitorog on Sun, 06/06/2010 - 2:51pm.

Makamundo hurop-huropon na ang sulamenteng edifico na nagrepresentar nin satong Pamanang Kultura nauuyag nin sarong istructura na pigtindog sa kataning kaini.