MANILA—Parish officials of the Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish tackled the ongoing reconstruction efforts of the historical parish after it was gutted by a third-alarm fire nearly four years ago, which also burned the 400-year-old original image of the Sto. Niño de Pandacan.
One fateful Friday on July 10, 2020, the massive fire allegedly started due to an electrical fault, taking along with it the 300-year-old convent, the titular figure of Sto. Niño de Pandacan, and other historical and religious artifacts. Masses were held in temporary tents erected on the church’s ground every Sunday morning after the fire.
But now, the parish is anticipating greener pastures as it is currently underway after breaking ground in 2021.
According to Pandacan Parish custodian Ramon Delos Reyes, the new Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish church is 80.31% complete and Masses are expected to be celebrated inside the new structure in August.
Speaking during a press conference at the University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday, May 15, Delos Reyes said that the church will be hosting Simbang Gabi in December and the feast of the Santo Niño in January for the first time since the old church burned down.
On the bright side, the altar table that is made from adobe bricks from the original church, along with the crucifix from the main altar that survived the fire, will be preserved as a “reminder” of the events that took place on that fateful Friday, he said.
He also added that the new structure will feature an adoration chapel, a parking area, and a wake chapel. Moreover, Delos Reyes said that from the old 700-seating capacity, the new parish could accommodate up to 1,500 churchgoers.
Unity through donations
“Sa ngayon po, ang simbahan ay wala pa pong utang. Napapatayo po naming ang simbahan out of donation ng mga balik-bayan, tapos ‘yong mga taga Pandacan, tapos po ‘yong madaming company—nagbibigay po sila. Doon po kamin nakukuha ‘yong funds,” said Delos Reyes.
(As of now, the church has no debts. We are building the church out of donations from homecomers, the residents of Pandacan, and then a lot of companies—they give. That’s where we get the funds.)
Former Manila City mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso donated ₱1M to jumpstart the construction efforts, while incumbent mayor Honey Lacuna is also providing logistical support needed by the parish when holding activities, Sto. Niño de Pandacan Parish Secretary Lem Leal Santiago said.
He also explained that through the parish’s initiatives and activities they host, they can at least have independence rather than relying on donations.
Moreover, Delos Reyes said that at the entrance of the parish, they built a sari-sari store with different kinds of merchandise that come with the image of Sto. Niño de Pandacan. He added that these items are exclusively bought from the parish.
As of writing, the parish has raised over ₱760,000 from the donation drive it is hosting on its website, while the structure has an expenditure of ₱37M.
To prevent such a fire from happening again, the parish acquired 22 fire extinguishers as a countermeasure.
The press conference was headed by Delos Reyes along with his co-parishioners Rev. Fr. Joseph Arellano and Santiago. - Manila Pulse
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