Here’s some good news to look forward to this year: the National Museum will be overseeing the restoration and rehabilitation of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay in Taal, Batangas.

A Facebook post by Pio Goco, one of the stakeholders of the church’s restoration, disclosed that a National Museum team of Anthropology, Architecture, Geology, Fine Arts, Engineering, Forensic Sciences and Archaeology will be visiting the area to begin working on restoring the church and other heritage sites in Taal. 

According to Jeremy Barnes, director-general of the National Museum, an initial P15 million endowment was set aside for the restoration of the Lady of Caysasay church. Areas like the Santa Lucia Wells Arch, WellSpring and Perimeter Grounds, as well as the Piedra China San Lorenzo Ruiz Steps will also be included in the project.

The Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Caysasay is one of Taal’s oldest surviving structures, with its construction completed in 1640. The church is made of coral stone, and its interiors have trompe l’oeil paintings of the apparitions of the Lady of Caysasay, biblical scenes and other religious motifs.

The church’s façade was damaged by the Taal Volcano eruption in January 2020 and the numerous earthquakes that hit the area in the past few years.

The Lady of Caysasay’s restoration was made possible through the initiative of shrine rector Fr. Raul Francisco Martinez, and supported by the Office of the Governor of Batangas, Taal Mayor Pong Mercado, Vice-Mayor Jovits Albuefera, Taal tourism head Beth Quinto, and Fr. Manny Guazon of the Taal Basilica.