SAVE TAAL BASILICA FROM DESECRATION & DESTRUCTION
- Target:
- ArchDiocese of Lipa (Batangas) & National Historical Commission (Philippines)
- Region:
- GLOBAL
The two centuries-old Basilica of St. Martin de Tours in Taal, Batangas, Philippines is the biggest Catholic church in Asia. It was erected by the Agustinian Order friars during the Spanish colonization of Filipinos.
"Taalenyos" or the citizens from Taal town, through the centuries, have laboured proudly in maintaining the splendid antiquity of and played major roles in the Basilica's great history. Certain Church authorities, non-Taalenyos, have done more harm and destruction than good by modernizing the Basilica's many original form & structures through numberless renovations, destroying the grandeur of its antiquity and character, and decimating its history and the Taalenyo's imagery of its proud and glorious past.
They have altered much of the main altar from its ORIGINAL AGUSTINIAN THEME, built a chapel in a very narrow and inaccessible location, and now constructing an out-of-place and anti-thematic place for social events and fund-raising. All these without FREE, INFORMED CHOICES and DECISIVE CONSULTATIONS with the Taalenyos. And, since the Basilica, is by Philippine laws, a declared National Shrine, the present parish priest is being probed by the National Historical Commission for not duly informing the agency BEFORE the actual construction.
Taalenyos have been most disturbed even angry for these acts of impunity and illegality by the parish priest, and the unexplainable silence by the ArchDiocese of Lipa. We have gone court before and we won. We can do it again except that by the time we win the case again, the building may have long been in use and the damage to our Basilica has been done.
STOP NOW THE ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AT THE SIDE OF THE CENTURIES-OLD TAAL BASILICA!!! DESIST FROM FURTHER ACTS WHICH DEFACE AND DESTROY OUR VENERABLE CHURCH!!!
WE TAALENYOS WENT TO COURT VERSUS THE PAST PARISH PRIESTS WHO HAVE, WITHOUT CONSULTATION WITH THE US, RENOVATED PARTS OF THE BASILICA INCLUDING THE FOUR ALTARS AND THE FACADE. WE WON AFTER NINE YEARS OF LEGAL BATTLES.
THE NEW PARISH PRIEST, AGAIN ON HIS OWN, ALTERED THE 200-YEAR AUGUSTINIAN THEME WITH FANCY AND CHEAP DESIGN & DECORS. WE SOMEHOW KEPT OUR CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION AND GODLY PEACE.
YET COMES NOW AND AGAIN, HIS CONSTRUCTION AT THE SIDE OF THE BASILICA OF A TWO-STORY BUILDING - WITH A WIDE CEMENTED PATIO WHICH PROTRUDES AND RUINS OUR CHURCH'S FAMOUS MONOLITHIC FACADE!!!
UNKNOWN TO THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION, THE RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT AGENCY FOR DECLARED NATIONAL SHRINES LIKE OUR BASILICA, THEY ARE FAST-TRACKING THE NEW BUILDING FOR "SOCIAL AND FUND-RAISING EVENTS" BY THE CHURCH. TAALENYOS ASKS: WHO IS THE REAL ARCHITECT OF THIS LATEST CONTRACTED VENTURE? WHO ISSUED THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IF THERE IS ONE AT ALL? WHO SHOULD THE LAW RUN AFTER FOR THIS ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION? WHATS THE OVERALL STRUCTURAL PLAN CONSIDERING THE RECENT BOHOL CHURCHES' EARTHQUAKE EXPERIENCES? SHOULDNT THE FUNDS BE MORE FOR ANTI-COLLAPSE RETRO-FITTING INSTEAD OF SOCIAL EVENTS? HAS THERE BEEN FULL AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTING OF FUNDS AND INVENTORIES?
NO FREE, INFORMED AND DECISIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH TAALENYOS WHO OWN THE BASILICA HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CHURCH AUTHORITIES. UTTER IMPUNITY AND IN THE GUISE OF DEVELOPING, NAY MODERNIZING, OUR BASILICA HAVE BEEN THE ORDER OF THE DAY.
PLEASE HELP OUR TAAL TOWN PRESERVE ITS HISTORY AND ANTIQUITY NOT FOR OURSELVES BUT FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONS OF TAALENYOS - WHO MUST GET TO SEE, FEEL AND LOVE WHAT WE HAVE PRESERVED FOR THEM. SALAMAT PO!!!
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The SAVE TAAL BASILICA FROM DESECRATION & DESTRUCTION petition to ArchDiocese of Lipa (Batangas) & National Historical Commission (Philippines) was written by Concerned Taalenyos for Heritage Preservation and Patrimony (CTHPP) and is in the category Culture at GoPetition.