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Revisiting Oslob Church, still a long way to go

15 November 2009 5 Comments


More than a year after the fire, still more to be done.

More than a year after the fire, still more to be done.

Revisiting Oslob Church

Close up view of the renovated retablo and main altar which is still being worked on

On 26 March 08, an 8 hour fire gutted the more than a century old kumbento (parish house) and church of Oslob in Cebu. What was left were the thick stone walls and belfry as well as an icon of the parish patron. This is the second update after the fire. The first one was done 10 months after the disaster.

Around two weeks ago, I was traveling down south and passed by Oslob Church to check on the status. 19 months after the devastating fire, there is still so much to do. The only thing that I have observed thus far are the restored roof and retablo. The vicinity of the altar is still being worked on.

At the nave, it’s still the same condition while the stations of the cross, with cement bas relief, which were badly damaged, are now replaced with what seems to be printed illustrations.

The belfry is much more spacious now and I was surprised to see that the stone pedestal of the wooden retablo has some faint traces of paint which indicate that this originally had some decorations.

Outside, the damaged stations of the cross were just placed near the right side entrance while the once beautiful kumbento is still lying neglected and in ruins. The entire left side of the church, near the perimeter fence, is empty now where once big trees stood.


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Estan Cabigas is a multiawarded blogger and freelance photographer based in Makati City, the Philippines. A true blue Cebuano, he makes stunning images and meaningful photo stories. He has writtten for CNN Go and his photograph was published in the May 2010 issue of the National Geographic Magazine.

To know more about him and his photography, visit estancabigas.com.

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NOTE: Photo/s are the work of the author and are copyright. Hi-res images are available upon request. Contact me if you need to use any of these. I am also available for work or commissions. Check out my Photography Portfolio to see more samples of my work.

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  • oslobanon

    the present situation of the church is awe-strucking.. i invite the author to come and visit the church as the town will celebrate the feast of their patroness this coming December 10-11.

  • http://simbahan.net estan

    thnx for the invite Oslobanon. I’m not just available during that time but I do need to post an update on Oslob Church unta

  • Darwin

    hi!! it’s really good to see that the church is rising from the ashes!
    i’d like to correct you, on your terminology regarding the retablo pedestal. it’s not a pedestal, it’s a mensa of the altar. Back then priests used to say Mass facing the retablo not the people thus the mensa. it was in canon law that priests had to say Mass once a day. so if a visiting priest wanted to celebrate Mass, but the parish priest was celebrating Mass at the high altar then he would say Mass at the side altar (concelebrating wasn’t allowed then), and in this case inside the baptistry.

    i Admire your work!!

    God bless!!

  • http://simbahan.net estan

    thanx Darwin :)