A cease-and-desist order was issued by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to halt all rehabilitation activities on St. John Nepomuceno parish, including its plaza, in the town of Anini-y, Antique.
The P19.29 million rehabilitation plan is already at the halfway mark for completion, and includes the construction of a covered walkway that the NHCP deemed as a desecration of the church’s facade.
NHCP Chair Rene Escalante wrote to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineering office’s acting head, Joselito Antonio, saying that they must coordinate with the NHCP immediately.
In August 2004, a historical marker was placed at the church, designating it as a national historical site, thus requiring any modifications done to the church and its plaza, be coordinated with the NHCP.
The DPWH, in response, is set to meet with the NHCP and other concerned parties, regarding the project.
Constructed out of coral stones in 1845, the church has since undergone restoration twice, by the NHCP.
Photo: Lakad Pilipinas