Mourning For The Loss Of Bohol's Heritage Churches

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake today, October 15, 2013, I  remembered I had this draft post on Bohol which I started writing last month.  I was going to write about my first visit to this province in 1997 but somehow I got sidetracked by so many other concerns that it remained unfinished.  But now, many of the things I was going to write about has disappeared.  I am devastated, angry, inconsolable, sad and a million other emotions as I look at the pictures of the destruction of the century-old churches, part of our national heritage and culture.  I am at a loss for words, but I feel I have to get the heavy feeling off my chest by writing about this tragedy. 

When I first saw these churches, I felt like I was transported in time and was awed by their majestic presence...a feeling I never experienced before in any other church I have been to.  I'm sure many of us who have been to Bohol, felt the same way too.  These Bohol Churches are part of our nation's patrimony and therefore, what can still be restored should be restored. I know they will never be the same but the earthquake that destroyed them will be part of their story for years to come.  For Loboc, Loon, Maribojoc and many others which have not reached the news yet...we bid farewell.  Still I hope that in their places, something can be built to remember their heritage and the feeling of pride they gave not only to the people of Bohol but for the rest of the country as well. 

To all of us who love heritage, let us mourn for a while for this tragic loss, but we have to move on and work more to protect our heritage. God Bless us all!