Dingras Church Façade set for Demolition
By Augusto VillalonPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:48:00 02/09/2009Filed Under:
By Augusto Villalon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:48:00 02/09/2009
ONLY THE FAÇADE survives of the ruined church of Dingras in Ilocos Norte. A shed was constructed within the ruined walls behind the surviving façade to serve as today’s church.
But even the original façade is now to be demolished to give way to construction of a new church that will reconstruct a replacement of the demolished façade rather than conserve the original.
National-heritage organizations, the International Council for Monuments and Sites (Icomos) Philippines and the Heritage Conservation Society have been informed of the development.
Architect Manuel Maximo Lopez del Castillo-Noche, a faculty member of the College of Architecture at UST, HCS director and member of Icomos Philippines, gives his assessment:
“Alarms have once again been sounded for threatened historic structures in the country. More alarming is that the threats happen almost simultaneously in the same province, Ilocos Norte.
“First is the planned demolition of Laoag Central High School, a perfectly usable, intact and beautiful example of 1920s education architecture, to make way for a mall. Second is the proposed demolition of the centuries-old façade of the Church of San José de Dingras to be replaced by what would most likely be a poor replica of the former.
Picturesque
“A brief background of the church of Dingras: It is one of the most picturesque façades in the country, not entirely due to its Baroque grandeur, but because of its perfectly beautiful proportions, the patina of the ancient bricks and, more importantly, its enduring and eternal visage of a ruin.
“The church of Dingras, like churches in most colonial towns in the country, experienced numerous re-buildings during its course in history. Like similar structures in Ilocos, it has conflicting historic information.
“An earlier structure, presumably made of light materials, was built before 1620, damaged during the earthquake of Nov. 11 of the same year. A conflicting report by Capitan Don Lucas Mariano de Ochoa in 1710 mentioned that the church of Dingras was constructed by Fray Alonso Cortes, OSA, 30 years ago, c. 1678-1680, and by the year of Ochoa’s writing, 1710, only the brick walls remained.
“Noted Church historian Regalado Trota-José mentioned a brick church being built in the late 1670s, collapsing in the earthquake of 1707. It is presumed this solid structure was the second church of Dingras. This structure may have undergone rebuilding but it was subsequently consumed, together with the entire town, by fire in 1838.
“Fr. Pedro Galende, OSA, mentions that in 1879, Fray Damask Vieytez, OSA, built the present church, which was described as huge and massive. But Trota José corrects this by stating the church was built sometime during the priorship of Fray Vieytez from 1846 to 1854, the year the builder died.
“The church once again underwent renovation—the roof was fixed and replaced with metal sheets—during the incumbencies of Fray Ricardo Diaz, OSA, (1879-1893) and Fray Fidel Franco, OSA, (1894-1898), whom Galende identifies as Saturnino Franco.
Destroyed by elements
“Fire and earthquake destroyed the church in 1914 and 1931, respectively, which made the structure unsafe and subsequently abandoned. A smaller concrete structure was built on the plaza across the street, which served as the house of worship. The ruins of the old church remained standing throughout this time, becoming a beautiful and nostalgic setting for pictorials and concerts.
“In the past decade the church was reopened, and masses have again been conducted inside the old church, which has been retrofitted with a gym-like structure.
“The architecture of Dingras is significant not only in Philippine architectural history, but more important, in Ilocos architecture, for together with the façades of the churches of San Nicolas, Piddig, and the original pre-1984 façades of Sarrat and Vintar, Dingras follows the manner and character of the Vignola masterpiece of the Church of Il Gesù in Rome.
“Sadly, with the proposed demolition of the façade, gone would be this fine architectural example, leaving the Church of San Nicolas as the only remnant to this once popular style.
Still massively strong
“Why demolish this ancient brick façade? It appears the ruin is precariously leaning on the new gym-like shed built by the parish during the early parts of this century. After withstanding buffeting typhoons, earthquakes, wars, pollution and other elements, the original façade, though showing its age, is still massively strong. Proper methods of conservation and shoring would allow it to continue serving the populace of Dingras, encouraging them to appreciate and understand the meaning of continuity by preserving the past and ensuring its eternal place in the sun.
“Other leaning façades have been shored up and made safe for people to appreciate, gaze at and wonder. Macau’s world-renowned ruins of the Jesuit Church of Saint Paul is a prime example of how a façade could be shored up, strengthened and saved for generations to come.
“What was done in Macau can be done in Dingras. Economically speaking, it may even be more prudent to just build a retaining inner wall rather than tear down a heavy masonry-worked façade and rebuild it in an attempt to follow the same lines and specifications of the original. Artistically and technically speaking, the methods, know-how and artistry of today sadly fare poorly to the craftsmanship of the 19th century.
“Finally, do the people of Dingras understand the repercussions of losing a vital piece of their heritage once the original façade is replaced with a replica? A replica can never replace the original. The original and the authentic are where historic value exists, not in replicas that are considered ‘fakes.’
“One wonders why this project is even being considered. True, the need to shore up the façade is pressing. Security and safety are paramount concerns of the parish to anyone visiting this shrine of faith.
“But do national and local agencies know of the proposed demolition of this historic façade? If they do, have they suggested alternative processes of rehabilitation instead of demolition of a vital monument?
“The Church of San José de Dingras may not have played significantly in Philippine history, but regardless, one should remember that time is the greatest arbiter of history. And with time, the lasting appeal of ancient architecture, ruined as it may be, becomes significantly eternal.”
