[MSN] Philippines. Parishes, museums plan anti-fire, disaster measures

[MSN]

Parishes, museums plan anti-fire, disaster measures 
By Bernadette Parco
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 07:28:00 04/05/2008
More than a week after the 160-year-old Our Lady of the Immaculate
Conception Church in Oslob town, southern Cebu, was destroyed by fire,
museums and heritage centers in other towns have focused their programs on
fire and disaster preparedness.

“After the (Oslob) fire, we had an emergency meeting in the parish. We
discussed when we should have the (Boljoon) church’s electrical wirings
checked. This would be our priority,” said Lindzey Romero, curator of the
Boljoon Parish Museum.

Romero said the parish is also studying the possibility of creating a parish
fire brigade.

Parish officials and the Boljoon Heritage Foundation Inc. will meet with the
Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade to discuss the implementation of a
disaster preparedness program, which will include frequent drills.

The Patrocinio de Maria Church in Boljoon was established in 1599 and houses
centuries-old religious artifacts made of wood, gold and ivory.

The church rectory houses a museum that displays 60 percent of its
collection to the public.

Joy Gerra, executive director of the cultural heritage program of the Ramon
Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi), said that the Visayas Association of Museums
and Groups Inc. (Vamgi) would celebrate this year's Museum Month in May with
the theme, “Heritage and disaster: Is there life after burning?”

“We will have a partnership with other groups, such as the church heritage
commission, on disaster preparedness for cultural sites,” Gerra said.

Representatives from the Casa Gorodo Museum, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral
Museum, and the Basilica del Sto. Niño Museum met last Thursday to create an
activity lineup for Museum Month.

Among the activities planned is a “Gabii sa Kabilin” (Night of Heritage),
wherein museums in Cebu would stay open until midnight in the last week of
May.

“We will be calling on the different sectors to help promote heritage
conservation,” Gerra added.

Louella Alix, a member of the Archdiocesan Commission on the Cultural
Heritage of the Church, said heritage conservation is a concern of everyone,
not just conservationists.

“When people heard that the Oslob church was on fire, they felt it was a
great loss. That is why we also plan to organize a stakeholders meeting in
Oslob,” she said.

“The people (in Oslob) are still stunned and have this feeling of
helplessness,” said Alix.

The commission aims to help Oslob parishioners organize a heritage committee
and a group that would handle finances for the restoration of the church.

Fire and disaster preparedness seminars and a workshop on documentation of
religious artifacts were being organized in the parishes of Carcar, Sibonga,
Dalaguete and Barili, among others.

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