Section of facade falls of Laguna's old Nagcarlan Church

A section of facade of Nagcarlan, Laguna's historic San Bartolome Church collapsed while a wedding was underway inside, GMA 7 news program “24 Oras” reported on Monday.

Churchgoers said they felt tremors just before the collapse on the morning of February 6. It was also raining that morning. Fortunately, there were no casualties from the incident.

However, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said there were no earthquakes recorded in Laguna on the morning ofFebruary 6.

The section of facade that fell off was made of adobe, bricks, and cement. “Napansin din namin simula ng pagbagsak ng sa labas sa simbahan, iyong wall ng semento nawala, nagbagsakan,” said San Bartolome Church’s volunteer curator Kirby Vireynato. 

Because of the incident, parishioners are worried their church would suffer the same fate as the churches of Bohol and Cebu when a magnitude 7.2 quake hit the provinces in 2013.

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines' (NHCP's) Historic Reservation Division, meanwhile, would not comment on the Bartolome Church incident until thier experts have inspected the site.

According to Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, the NHCP is mandated to protect structures that were at least 50 years old that had  historical and cultural significance.

The first San Bartolome Church was built in 1583 using light materials such as wood and nipa. The second baroque-style church was built in 1752 using bricks and stones. This second church was heavily damaged by a fire in 1781. Reconstruction and repair began right after. A major restoration project was also conducted in the 1990s. — Trisha Macas/DVM, GMA News