Petition to 'save' San Sebastian Basilica goes live, gets support from Manila Cathedral

A campaign to save the San Sebastian Basilica is now online.

The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. launched the petition on Change.org early January, aiming to reach 400,000 signatures by August.

The petition is a public call for the support of the "overall protection" of the church. Back in October, the organization revealed that a high-rise condominium building was scheduled for construction behind San Sebastian Basilica.

"It is important to determine if the condominium’s construction is a threat to people’s homes, and if there is a possibility of displacing families. At the heart of this issue is the safety of the community, which guides the decisions made by the team alongside the data of our engineers and architects," it said in a Facebook post.

In its petition, the organization said the signatures "will be recorded to show the public there is a community of people who care about the Basilica and the neighborhood."

THE MANILA CATHEDRAL STANDS WITH SAN SEBASTIAN BASILICA

The online petition for the #SaveSanSebastian campaign is live! Sign up now and stand with us at Change. Org: https://t.co/cuPj9OAr7c pic.twitter.com/PNRRLeDyGW

— Manila Cathedral (@CathedralManila) January 11, 2021

The official Twitter account of the Manila Cathedral expressed support for the campaign.

"THE MANILA CATHEDRAL STANDS WITH SAN SEBASTIAN BASILICA," it wrote.

Built in 1881 and inaugurated 10 years later, the San Sebastian Basilica in Quiapo stands as the only all-metal building in the Philippines. —JCB, GMA News