Hope in the rubble: Some religious icons were spared from Bohol quake

Boholanos might take this as a sign of hope amid the rubble of centuries-old churches: some crucifixes and other religious items withstood the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the province, a rare miracle in a region traumatized by the force of nature.

A report on "24 Oras" shows that religious icons in some churches remained intact while the walls around them collapsed.

For instance, the quake heavily damaged Baclayon's Inmaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Church—the oldest coral stone church in Asia—and destroyed the top half of its bell tower.

But the retablo behind the altar that houses the church's icons remains intact.

"Malungkot pero alam kong may pag-asa naman. The survival of any heritage is always a miracle. This is one miracle we give special thanks for," commissioner Victorino Manalo of the National Archives said in the report.

Above the retablo is an ornate painting of Jesus, his apostles and saints, which was also unscathed even as part of the roof nearby it collapsed, the report said.

Painted over the retablo are the words "Ave Maria".

In another instance, the Parroquia de la Santa Cruz in Maribojoc was reduced to rubble, but an icon of Jesus Christ on a globe engulfed in clouds is still standing. It is situated in front of the church's entrance and was thus spared from tumbling debris.

"Naniniwala sila na ang San Vicente, ang aming santo namin dito ay milagroso. Lahat ng mga tao dito ay nananayang sa simbahan namin," parishioner Miluelda Escabarte said in the report.

The earthquake hit Bohol Monday morning and was felt in nearby provinces Cebu and Siquijor. The death toll stood at 161 as of Thursday afternoon. Survivors have felt aftershocks with a maximum intensity of 5.1, according to authorities. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/BM, GMA News