Basilica Del Santo Nino (Cebu City)

Everything can be lost in an instant.  The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu has reminded us how powerful God is. With one stroke of His hand, everything can crumble to the ground. Nothing can stand up against His Will.

Even those century-old churches were reduced to rubble in a matter of minutes. No one has expected that such an event would take place. Perhaps, all travelers to Cebu and Bohol may have thought that these churches would still be standing the moment they decided again to visit the islands.  The earthquake has proved everyone wrong. In an instant, those beautiful churches crumbled to the ground. Without any sign, unlike an upcoming storm, no one has a notion that an earthquake is about to happen and would destroy those churches considered as our national treasures.

The problem with earthquakes is that no one can accurately predict their occurrence. While there are indicators that an earthquake is likely to occur such as “fault lines”, the exact date and time of its happening cannot be foretold.  Despite our modern technology, the precise time an earthquake will strike is still a mystery. All the authorities can say is for us to be prepared at all times.

Without warning, we have witnessed heritage churches falling to the ground. The photos of Bohol and Cebu's heritage churches are totally heartbreaking.  The memory of centuries is gone in an instant as those historical churches’ structure are very fragile being made mostly of corals pieced together with egg-white making it very vulnerable to earthquakes.

The 7.2 magnitude earthquake that devastated Cebu and Bohol would necessarily have a dire impact on the islands’ tourism.  Every time I visit Cebu and Bohol, there is no chance that I  would not visit the islands heritage churches.  In fact, the itinerary of most travel and tours companies often include a visit to these heritage churches. With most of the churches destroyed, it would be very difficult for these islands to get up and boost tourism.

When we visited Cebu last July this year, part of our itinerary is to visit the Basilica Del Santo Nino.  We made a short stop at the famous Magellan’s Cross near this church.  After the conclusion of the usual activity of taking photos with the cross as background and offering candles sold by old ladies who render traditional prayer dance, we then proceeded to the Basilica.  As I step inside,  my attention was caught by the church’s beautiful altar. After a moment of prayer, we went out of the church and admired the entire building.  The Basilica’s façade is reminiscent of how old churches looked like in the past. 

I never thought that an earthquake would damage this church barely three months after my visit.  If I have known, I should have taken better photos. According to the news, the "restoration" of old churches, including this Basilica, is much more expensive than its reconstruction simply implying that heritage churches in Cebu and Bohol would be merely “reconstructed” losing much of its original structure.  The government cites the lack of funds to finance the restoration of these heritage churches. If corruption in government has been prevented, there could have been enough money to pay for the restoration of the Basilica Del Santo Nino.

We all have to be united in helping Cebu and Bohol. It is the time to extend whatever assistance we can give to these islands. Let us share our blessings with Bohol and Cebu. The lost of lives and property is beyond appalling.  It is a traumatic event that no one has expected.