A Catholic diocese has launched its first flagship program aimed at strengthening the preservation of Catholic cultural heritage in Cavite province.
The program, titled PAMANAMPALATAYA: Masterclass on Religious Cultural Heritage, was held May 24 at the Bishop Artemio Casas Hall in Imus.
Organized by the Imus’ diocese’s Ministry on the Cultural Heritage of the Church, the event gathered parish volunteers and heritage advocates for a daylong formation session focused on preserving the historical, architectural and spiritual identity of local parishes.
The initiative was led by the Fr. Virgilio Saenz Mendoza, priest-animator of the diocesan cultural heritage ministry, who emphasized the urgency of protecting Cavite’s Catholic legacy.
“Cavite is very rich in terms of its history, church architecture, and even intangible heritage,” Mendoza said. “We should do something to protect and promote them.”
Mendoza, who has served in the clergy for more than 40 years, said he has witnessed the gradual loss of historical character in Cavite’s churches, citing structural alterations and the fading of pious traditions and sacred artifacts.
Through the program, he said, lay volunteers can take an active role in safeguarding parish heritage.
Resource speakers offered insights on heritage preservation from a variety of perspectives.
Cavite 5th District Board Member Aidel Paul Belamide, a native of Silang, emphasized the importance of collaboration between Church and state to restore and sustain cultural treasures.
Fr. Milan Ted Torralba, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Cultural Heritage of the Church, discussed the theological significance of heritage in evangelization, drawing on successful initiatives in his home province of Bohol.
Prof. Berniemack Arellano of the University of the Philippines Los Baños presented an overview of legal responsibilities under the amended National Cultural Heritage Act (Republic Act 11961) and encouraged parishes to work with historians, archaeologists and government agencies.
Billy Malacura, a Third Order Franciscan and curator of the GBR Museum in General Trias, Cavite, emphasized the role of documentation as both a spiritual and community practice. He encouraged participants to treat heritage as a living connection to the Church’s sacred memory.
Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista of Imus expressed his support for the initiative and linked the program to the diocese’s renewed pastoral roadmap.
He also reaffirmed the inclusion of heritage preservation in the Diocesan Pastoral Priorities for Evangelization, building on the legacy of his predecessors, the late Bishops Felix Perez and Manuel Sobreviñas.
Organizers described Pamanampalataya as more than a seminar, calling it a “call to conscience” for Caviteño Catholics.
For more information or to support the diocese’s cultural heritage ministry, email [email protected].
