NM to rebuild Bohol's most beautiful "Kasilak Church"

TAGBILARAN CITY, December 15 (PIA)--The National Museum (NM) would be rebuilding the shambled and totally wrecked church of the Lady of Light or the Kasilak Church.

NM Director Angel Bautista announced this to a modest gathering of Loon stakeholders attending the simple turn-over ceremonies of the P2.1 million rehabilitation of the Inang-angan.

"We will built it, we will be bringing in experts international and local experts, to see how we will do about it," Bautista declared to a modest ripple of applause from youngsters witnessing the turn-over ceremonies.

The church of Loon, dedicated to the Lady of Light is built between 1854 to 1864 when it was blessed.

Although the built by Augustinian Recollects, the devotion to the Lady of Light could have been Jesuit in origin as the Jesuit devotion is also evident in the other parts of the country.

Built according to the plans of the Director of Public Works then in Cebu Domingo Escondrillas in 1853, the church which is often referred to as the crowning glory of the Recollect Architecture has been acclaimed as one of the finest and largest in the Visayas.

Implemented possibly under Fr Jose Garcia who was assigned in Loon between 1853-1864, the church feature twin bell towers and two side buttresses which could tell the immensity of the engineering sophistication then at that time.

Said to be the largest church with a fairly simple design has also been revered as the grandest in Bohol, the church had become the focal symbol of the town until 2013.

The earthquake of October 2013 leveled the church to the ground, nearly to dust where it should return.

The crumbling of the church has left many of our people in desperate hopelessness, shared a parishioner during a side interview at the turn-over of the rehabilitated centuries old stone steps within the church complex.

Declared as National Historical Landmark by the National Museum in 2010, the church now is eligible to get funds from the government, NM sources said.

Despite clearing operations and recovery of the church rubbles, three years later have wilted the people's hopes of a church restored.

At the NM Bautista's announcement, a heave of relief could be heard from the old ladies who had the sense to witness the turn-over of the restored stone stairway.

Keeping to the promise, Loonanons at the turn-over rites still can recite the inscriptions in the old stone walls of their toppled church.

Yn ea omnis, qui petit, accipit, et qui querit, invenit et pulsante.

In Luke 11:10, it says, For everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Perhaps the prayers of the people here have been heard and it may not be too long before they can see the light again. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)