By Leilanie Adriano
SARRAT, Ilocos Norte – A Church official is hopeful that restoration works for the 300-year-old Santa Monica Parish Church here will begin this year.
“Hopefully, the restoration will start after the rainy season,” Bishop Renato Mayugba of the Diocese of Laoag said in a media interview on Monday during the church’s tercentennial celebration.
Mayugba and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), through its chairperson, Regalado Trota Jose, signed an agreement in June to restore the church, widely known as Sarrat Church.
According to the bishop, a PHP40-million has been secured from the NHCP for the initial repair of the church, a landmark of Filipino-Hispanic architecture in Ilocos Norte.
Due to series of strong earthquakes that hit this northern province in 2024, Mayugba said several cracks were observed in various parts of the church.
Following a review of structural engineers and the NHCP, it was agreed upon that the church be closed for public safety pending the repair of its roof and trusses and the strengthening of its brick walls, Mayugba said.
Established on Sept. 29, 1724 by Augustinian friars, the church has been a significant factor in shaping the spiritual life and culture of the people of the town.
On Monday, hundreds of parishioners attended the Mass celebration presided by Mayugba outside the structure.
In his message for the tercentennial celebration, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the church’s role as a source of strength and transformation for residents not only of Sarrat but also of the entire Ilocos Region.
“The parish, then and now, has been home to many remarkable individuals. Their unwavering conviction and resolve have guided our people through the most trying times. As we commemorate this milestone, let us remember both the parish and these exemplars by also becoming bearers of light and hope to our brethren,” he said in his message posted on the Sta. Monica Church’s Facebook page.
Marcos’ father and namesake, the late president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was from Sarrat.
Sarrat Mayor Ralph Conrad Medrano, for his part, said the celebration is another historic event for the people of Sarrat, as it honors 300 years of devotion to Santa Monica while safeguarding its religious and cultural legacy for continuous growth of faith, tradition, and heritage.
Also on Monday, the Museo Parroquial de Santa Monica was unveiled to the public, showcasing, among others, the rich history of distinguished pastors, an array of church vestments that show the sartorial flair of the Spanish friars, and a portrait and personal belongings of Niña Ruiz Abad, a teenage girl from Sarrat who is a candidate for sainthood. (PNA)
