T he Diocese of Antipolo recently petitioned to the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) to declare three Spanish-era churches in Rizal Province as National Cultural Treasures (NCTs).

So far, the province has one NCT church, the San Ildefonso de Toledo church of Tanay, which was declared as such by the National Museum of the Philippines in 2001.

The petition includes the declaration not only of the churches per se, but the church complexes as a whole as well as their ecclesiastical objects.

As defined by the 2009 heritage law, the NCT refers to “unique cultural property found locally (with) outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or artistic value which is highly significant and important to the country.”

As of this year, more than three dozen churches all over the country have been declared NCTs.

Morong Church

Dedicated to San Geronimo, the church of Morong was built around 1615 and was renovated at least two times after, in 1850 to 1853 and in 1966.

Its beautiful façade with an incorporated belfry dates back to the 19th century renovation undertaken by Bartolome Palatino of Paete, Laguna, with Fr. Maximo Rico, OFM.

According to the Cultural Center of the Philippines Enyclopedia of Philippine Art, the façade of the church, “decorated with the symbol and image of San Geronimo touching the head of a Chinese lion, has been called an excellent expression of Philippine baroque.”

It likewise noted that the church interior “retained some of its original ornamentation and design” such as the crocodile-head corbels at the choir loft, with the painted Stations of the Cross and the four evangelists at the pendentives as well as the bas relief of the baptism of Christ at the baptistry also considered significant.

A pair of granite fu dogs used to flank the access road to the church. One has been transferred to the church grounds beside the façade.

The church’s stone fence has inscription of “Año de 1696” and near this is a section believed to be an old cemetery.

In the petition, the Diocese of Antipolo noted that the “church’s main body exhibits a high degree of integrity and creativity, particularly in its façade.”

The diocese likewise notes that the church is an “exemplar of structures” built by the Franciscans in the territories where they were ecclesiastical administrators, namely Laguna, Quezon, the Bicol provinces, and Samar Island, among others.

Baras Church

This church dedicated to San Jose and located at an elevated area, just like Morong’s, was also built by the Franciscans from 1682 to 1686.

It has a simple façade but a well-preserved interior characterized by intact wooden trusses and old stone altar and lectern unearthed during the 1960s renovation of the church.

According to the diocese, the church still has the original retablos, which are “monumental Baroque-style retablos adapted to the Philippine context.”

The church’s physical integrity is high despite the renovation done to it, which added floor tiles from structures in Intramuros ruined during World War II.

Binangonan Church

Binangonan’s church, dedicated to Santa Ursula, was built from the 18th century up until 1800. It is characterized by a simple façade topped by a pediment, a pair of finials and a three-story belfry. Also built by the Franciscans, it is a well-preserved structure “with minimal traces of modern-day interventions.”

Its retablos, as per the diocese, are original and “outstanding monumental examples of retablo styles built in the 18th and 19th centuries.”

With regard to ecclesiastical objects, all of these churches “display Philippine adaptation of European, Ibero-American, and Asian artistic expressions.”

The possible declaration of these churches as NCTs will be discussed and deliberated on by experts from the NCCA, with final approval from its board.

Meanwhile, the Gen. Aniceto Lacson House in Talisay City, Negros Occidental was recently donated by the heirs of Lacson, the only president of the Negros Cantonal Republic (1898-1901), to the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP).

The latter is going to be fully restored by the NMP. This house was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2002 and an Important Cultural Property by the former in 2018. —contributed INQ