Guiuan Church

{{Short description|Roman Catholic church in Eastern Samar, Philippines}}

{{Infobox church

| name = Guiuan Church

| fullname = {{unbulleted list|Immaculate Conception Parish Church|Parish Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception}}

| native_name = {{native name|es|Iglesia Parroquial de la Inmaculada Concepción}}

| image = The Immaculate Conception Church of Guiuan in April 2022.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Guiuan Church in 2022

| pushpin map = Visayas#Philippines

| pushpin label position = left

| map caption = Location in the Visayas##Location in the Philippines

| coordinates = {{coord|11.031369|N|125.722898|E|dim:30_region:PH_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms}}

| osgridref =

| location = Guiuan, Eastern Samar

| country = Philippines

| denomination = Roman Catholic

| previous denomination =

| churchmanship =

| membership =

| attendance =

| website =

| former name =

| bull date =

| founded date =

| founder = Jesuits

| dedication = Immaculate Conception

| dedicated date =

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| status = Parish church

| functional status = Active

| heritage designation = National Cultural Treasure

| designated date =

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| architectural type = Church building

| style = Baroque

| groundbreaking =

| completed date = {{ubl|1718|2019 (restoration from Typhoon Haiyan)}}

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| demolished date = 2013 (Typhoon Haiyan)

| materials =

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| archdiocese = Palo

| metropolis =

| diocese = Borongan

| archbishop = John F. Du

| bishop = Crispin Barrete Varquez

}}

Immaculate Conception Parish Church, commonly known as Guiuan Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, Philippines, within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Borongan.

The church is classified as a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. It was formerly nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines under two categories, the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) and the Jesuit Churches of the Philippines.

The church, built in the 18th century, was significantly damaged when Typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) made landfall in Guiuan and struck other parts of Central Visayas on November 8, 2013. While the church's roof was destroyed and the façade damaged, the church's walls were largely left intact. Restoration of the damaged church was completed in 2019.

Church history

File:Immaculate Conception Church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, in 1945.jpg

Guiuan (also spelled as Guiguan) was founded by the Jesuits in 1595. It was handed over to the Augustinians upon instructions from the Spanish colonial government due to the Jesuits Suppression in 1768. It was then transferred to the Franciscans in 1795 but due to lack of priests, Father Miguel Pérez, the first Franciscan priest of Guiuan was only assigned in 1804.{{Harvnb|Huerta|1865|p=314}} The original church of Guiuan was made of wood and destroyed by fire.{{Cite news |last=Labro |first=Vicenter |date=June 11, 2011 |title=Guiuan's Treasure Chest of History, Natural Wonders |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/13922/guiuan%E2%80%99s-treasure-chest-of-history-natural-wonders |url-status=live |access-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103211410/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/13922/guiuan%e2%80%99s-treasure-chest-of-history-natural-wonders |archive-date=January 3, 2015}}

The present stone church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception and was built by the early Jesuits in 1718"Simbahan ng Guiuan" historical marker. National Historical Commission of the Philippines, 2021. and was renovated by adding a transept and baptistery during the term of Father Manuel Valverde and Pedro Monasterio in 1844.{{Harvnb|Huerta|1865|p=315}} A bell tower on top fort was built in 1854. Another convent was built by Father Arsenio Figueroa in 1872. The church was refurbished in 1935 and the sanctuary was renovated in 1987.{{Cite web |title=Guiuan |url=http://www.admu.edu.ph/offices/mirlab/panublion/r8_guiuan.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211130335/http://www.admu.edu.ph/offices/mirlab/panublion/r8_guiuan.html |archive-date=February 11, 2006 |access-date=January 2, 2015 |website=Panublion: Heritage Sites of the Visayan Islands in the Philippines}} On November 8, 2013, the church along with other buildings and structures in Guiuan was severely damaged due to Typhoon Haiyan,{{Cite news |last=Villaon |first=Augusto F. |date=November 18, 2013 |title=Guiuan Church, a National Cultural Treasure in Samar, Heavily Damaged by 'Yolanda' |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/137505/guiuan-church-a-national-cultural-treasure-in-samar-heavily-damaged-by-yolanda |access-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103161954/http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/137505/guiuan-church-a-national-cultural-treasure-in-samar-heavily-damaged-by-yolanda |archive-date=January 3, 2015}} which made landfall in the town.{{cite news |title=Yolanda makes landfall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar – PAGASA |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/weather/334531/yolanda-makes-landfall-in-guiuan-eastern-samar-pagasa/story/ |access-date=18 September 2024 |work=GMA News Online |date=8 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821182741/https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/weather/334531/yolanda-makes-landfall-in-guiuan-eastern-samar-pagasa/story/ |archive-date=August 21, 2017 |language=en}} While the roof was destroyed and the façade was damaged, the church's stone walls remain unscathed, as do the floors and the crypts.

File:Inmaculada Concepcion Parish Church, Guiuan, Eastern Samar (Before and After 2013 Typhoon Haiyan).jpg|Guiuan Church before (left) and after Typhoon Haiyan

= Historical and cultural declarations =

File:Church of Guiuan historical marker.jpg historical marker installed in 2021]]

The National Museum of the Philippines named Guiuan Church a National Cultural Treasure in 2001.{{Cite web |last=Alba |first=Reinerio A. |date=September 29, 2003 |title=The Restoration of 26 Philippine Churches |url=http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?subcat=13&i=17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140512223346/http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-c-n-a/article.php?subcat=13&i=17 |archive-date=May 12, 2014 |access-date=December 29, 2014 |website=National Commission for Culture and the Arts}} As a nominee for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the Philippines, it is grouped with Maragondon Church, Baclayon Church and Loboc Church for the Jesuit Churches of the Philippines{{Cite web |title=Jesuit Churches of the Philippines |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/514/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019030832/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/514/ |archive-date=October 19, 2014 |access-date=October 9, 2014 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}} and with Boljoon Church, Loboc Church, Tumauini Church and Lazi Church for the Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) nomination.{{Cite web |title=Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) |url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/3860/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015155837/https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/3860/ |archive-date=October 15, 2014 |access-date=October 9, 2014 |website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}} However, due to its total destruction, it was then removed from the roster of nominated sites.{{Cite news |date=August 13, 2014 |title=3 Damaged Visayas Churches Removed from World Heritage Tentative List |work=GMA News Online |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/374635/lifestyle/artandculture/3-damaged-visayas-churches-removed-from-world-heritage-tentative-list |access-date=January 3, 2015}}

On March 18, 2021, as part of the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines marking the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Magellan–Elcano circumnavigation to the Philippines, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines unveiled a historical marker commemorating the church.{{Cite news |last=Arceo-Dumlao |first=Tina |date=March 28, 2021 |title=Eastern Samar Church Marks Lent – and Its Place in PH Art, History |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1412099/e-samar-church-marks-lent-and-its-place-in-ph-art-history |access-date=April 15, 2021}}

=Description=

File:Interior of Guiuan Church.JPG]]

Guiuan Church is nestled inside a fort. It is well known for its extensive shell ornamentation in its interiors. Studies revealed that at least eight types of seashells were used. Before its destruction, it still has two elaborately carved doors out of the original three doors. The main door on the entrance has exquisite carvings of the Twelve Apostles while a side door has carved representations of angels. Former First Lady Imelda Marcos was interested in purchasing the church's door for ₱1,000,000 using government funds siphoned by her husband, Ferdinand Marcos.{{Cite magazine |last=Batham |first=Tere |date=December 2007 |title=Treasures of the Philippines |magazine=Cruising World Magazine |pages=58}}{{better source needed|date=October 2021}}

Present condition

File:The Immaculate Conception Church of Guiuan in 2019.jpg

Due to Typhoon Haiyan, all of its original retablo, roof (dated 1700s) and other church relics were damaged.{{Cite news |last=Aljibe |first=Ted |date=November 12, 2013 |title=Guiuan, E. Samar a 'Terrifying' Wasteland in Wake of 'Yolanda' |agency=Agence France-Presse |work=ABS-CBN News |url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/11/12/13/guiuan-e-samar-terrifying-wasteland-wake-yolanda |access-date=January 3, 2015}} Only the stone walls and bell tower remained standing.{{Cite web |last=AFP Central Command |title=Aerial View of the Church of Guiuan in Eastern Samar |url=http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=25921 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103161818/http://www.cbcpnews.com/cbcpnews/?p=25921 |archive-date=January 3, 2015 |access-date=January 3, 2015 |website=CBCP News}} Restoration of the church was under the supervision of the National Museum of the Philippines.{{Cite news |last=Labro |first=Vicente Alejandro S. |date=July 12, 2014 |title=NMP Rebuilds Typhoon-Ravaged Church of Guiuan |work=Manila News Online |url=http://www.manilanewsonline.com/nmp-rebuilds-typhoon-ravaged-church-of-guiuan/ |access-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103195841/http://www.manilanewsonline.com/nmp-rebuilds-typhoon-ravaged-church-of-guiuan/ |archive-date=January 3, 2015}} Funds for the reconstruction of the church amounting to $300,000 were given by the Embassy of the United States in the Philippines{{Cite news |last=Mabasa |first=Roy |date=October 31, 2014 |title=Guiuan Church Gets P13M from US Embassy |work=Manila Bulletin |url=http://www.mb.com.ph/guiuan-church-gets-p13m-from-us-embassy/ |access-date=January 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103181115/http://www.mb.com.ph/guiuan-church-gets-p13m-from-us-embassy/ |archive-date=January 3, 2015}} and ₱112 million from the National Museum of the Philippines.{{Cite news |last=Beronio |first=Alren |date=November 8, 2019 |title=Guiuan Church Rises Again 6 Years After Yolanda |language=en |work=ABS-CBN News |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/multimedia/slideshow/11/08/19/slideshow-guiuan-church-rises-again-6-years-after-yolanda |access-date=June 26, 2021}} Restoration of the church was completed in 2019.{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=John |last2=Livingstone |first2=Annabel |date=September 30, 2020 |title=Restoring and Conserving the Parish Church at Guiuan, Eastern Samar |url=https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/09/30/restoring-and-conserving-the-parish-church-at-guiuan/ |website=The University of Melbourne |language=en-AU}}

Notes

Bibliography

{{Cite book |last=Huerta |first=Felix de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4LowAAAAYAAJ |title=Estado geográfico, topográfico, estadístico, histórico-religioso |date=1865 |publisher=Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Ca |location=Binondo |language=es |trans-title=Geographical, topographical, statistical, historical and religious state}}