Preserving a treasure of the Church

Restoration of Caraga church in Davao Oriental begins

CARAGA, DAVAO ORIENTAL—Typhoons like Pablo in 2012 have passed and destroyed structures yet this church in this part of Davao Oriental stands still.

The San Salvador del Mundo Parish in Caraga has been in existence for 134 years already.

A fortress made of limestone blocks, corals and wood, construction of this Church by Jesuits began in 1877 and finished in 1884.

Narra hardwood posts and the walls are still intact up to this date and some religious articles or artifacts from the Spanish era are still kept like the taklobo shell used as baptismal font, antique statue of San Isidro Labrador and the parish records dating from the first baptismal registry, first marriage, and first confirmation, among others.

On July 16, 2012, on the occasion of its parochial fiesta, the San Salvador del Mundo Parish was declared a national historical site by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) because of its significance not only for Davao Oriental but also for the whole country.

According to NHCP, San Salvador del Mundo is where Christianity began in the eastern part of the Philippines.

And to preserve this treasure, NHCP has funded the restoration of the Caraga Church, with restoration works began this August.

FFJJ Construction will implement the P18 million project to preserve and restore the structure both inside and out.

According to the parish administrator, Fr. Uldarico Toroba, the church will not only be a treasure of the Catholic Church but also of the Philippines as this will be under the care of NHCP who will ensure that preservation efforts are funded.

The church will still be used as site for daily and Sunday Mass, and will continue to serve the parishioners of Caraga though it will be expected that this will become a site for tourists who want to see the oldest church in Mindanao.

Restoration will run until February 2019 though they are expecting that Bishop of Mati Abel C. Apigo will be celebrating a Mass on December particularly during the Misa de Gallo.