MANILA, Philippines - Across the short causeway from Tagbilaran to the tip of Panglao Island stands the 18th century La Señora de la Asunción church in the town of Dauis.
Its imposing roofline hovers above the pristine white sand beach surrounding church and convento.
Centuries-old acacias and a scattering of coconut trees backdrop the scene. In its foreground, a strip of clear, blue water reflects the intense Bohol sky. Quite a perfect scene.
Less than perfect, though, are the many Spanish colonial structures all over the country whose cracking and disintegrating stone walls, sagging and leaking roofs, termite-infested woodwork, tangled and frayed electrical wiring—are all part of a web of maintenance nightmares that demand urgent attention.
Repair funds for these churches are usually nonexistent. What can parishes do to conserve their creaking heritage?
As many see it, conservation is an expensive proposition, a one-way street to depleting already severely limited funds.
Therefore conservation of church heritage, hardly a priority among parishes, is done haphazardly, if at all.
But many parish priests go into expensive remodeling and beautification projects that damage rather than enhance the historic character of their churches.
Seeing the need to ensure that its heritage continues into the next century but caught in a bind of not having enough funds for proper conservation, Dauis parish realized its heritage was an untapped income-generating opportunity for the people and unrealized source for maintenance and conservation funding.
But is not the church confined to the spiritual realm? Why should it think about livelihood and conservation?
Canterbury experience
Yes, the church is completely spiritual, the Very Reverend Robert Willis, dean of Canterbury, told International Council for Monuments and Sites (Icomos) members in Kent, England last year.
Both a holy place and a World Heritage site, Canterbury Cathedral, Mother Church of the Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, is one of the three main pilgrimage destinations in Europe that has consistently received thousands of pilgrims yearly since the Middle Ages.
Most important, Canterbury, one of the most visited places in England, is a living community that continues the ancient tradition of Benedictine hospitality and seeks to make its town and cathedral places of welcome, beauty and holiness.
“Canterbury Cathedral is more than just a beautiful old building. It is a place of worship, place to meet, sanctuary, haven, celebration, place of joy and occasionally sadness, but most of all it is alive with the people that make the Cathedral what it is today,” said Willis.
Essential to the spiritual ministry is maintaining the massive but fragile Canterbury Cathedral structures dating from the mediaeval era, an undertaking requiring enormous funding, largely augmented by the church itself from its earnings through ticketing, tour organization, gift shops and publications, and the operation of a midsize hotel and conference center within the church grounds.
Beyond the cathedral gates, the town takes over. Local merchants provide pilgrims lodging, restaurants, pubs, shops and entertainment, service industries existing since the “Canterbury Tales” era of Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343-1400).
The spiritual heritage of Canterbury Cathedral provides material income resource for the residents of the town. Hospitality is big business.
Bohol hospitality
Dauis church, for generations a traditional pilgrimage center for Boholanos and now a tourist destination, has initiated a pioneering program with the Ayala Foundation to initiate heritage-based activities to generate additional income for both the church and the local residents.
To provide hospitality to the pilgrims, Fr. Val Pinlac, Dauis parish priest, and his parishioners are trying to blend the past and the present through participatory grass-roots tourism.
“We want to offer our guests a tour of faith, nature, culture, and history,” says Father Pinlac.
Pilgrims may take a journey of faith to visit the spot in the church where water, believed to be holy, continually flows.
Recently the relics of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, on a world tour, were brought to the church.
Locals are active in the sharing of their spiritual and cultural legacy by reviving traditional crafts (food production, weaving, jewelry), which are for sale in the convent’s ultramodern shop.
Under the magnificent wooden cupola of the convento, authentic Bohol and Dauis cuisine is served guests.
On open wooden decks built over the sand in the wide beachfront area, guests can relax under huge acacia trees while enjoying the view of the nearby river and busy fisherfolk at work.
The outdoor area has also become a popular local venue for pop concerts, weddings and religious events.
Dauis continues but updates the age-old tradition of ministering hospitality to pilgrims and visitors in the manner of the great Catholic pilgrimage churches such as Santiago de Compostela in Spain and Saint Peter’s Basilica and the three other papal churches in Rome.
Admirable is the courage of Dauis to take a step outside of the box that binds many Philippine churches so that they have looked at heritage as unproductive and unsustainable.
Only time will tell whether the Dauis experiment will be successful, but it is off to a good start. Dauis is certainly worth a visit.
Copyright 2009 Philippine Daily Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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