Beyond Mere Blocks of Stone

The question goes beyond old blocks of stone, laid one of top of another to form an old wall. To look at it this way is to be sadly shortsighted. Those stones are valuable precisely because together, they form part of a great wall, which in turn forms part of an ancient Church. It is this Church in its entirety, in its structural integrity and wholeness that we aspire to conserve and protect. Can we say that it remains whole if a part is removed or destroyed? If the part that is removed gives way to a new part, are we not creating a new wholeness, different from what it used to be?

If we dare remove and change significant names, dates, places and events from our history books, are we not in effect altering history? And if we do, will there not be consequences? Will we not defile our understanding of our collective journey of pain, pride and progress as a people? Will we not ultimately blur and distort our understanding of ourselves -- who we are and what we have become because we had the shameless boldness to change the stories about what and who we once were?

Is this the way we aspire to go with the Church of San Policarpo? This old temple is not only a mute witness to Cabuyao history...in a larger and equally meaningful sense, it is history itself. We have dared change it in the past...and proceeded to change it yet again, and again. Today, efforts are underway to change it one more time. When will we ever stop? When this old Church is no more? When we have changed it beyond collective recognition? When we gaze at it and see nothing in it that reminds us of the sublime meanings that once illuminated our proud sense of history and identity as Cabuyeños?

When we do, and reach a point of no reversal in the changes we have made and persevere to make, then there will be no restoration possible. We can pull our hair, heave and sigh and cry till the heavens fall, but then there will be no point in our regret and sorrow...because I fear that by then, God forbid, what we have lost, what we have destroyed, will be gone forever!

November 16 at 11:23pm ·

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  Evie C. Locsin and 8 others like this.
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    Mike L. Cariño Sabi ko na nga ba 'wag kang pagiinitin eh!
    

    November 17 at 10:14am · · 1Loading...
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    Pilut Schuler Thanks for the info. Now I know how important it is to remove the shrubs and the trees growing between the adobe stones of the fascade, more than anything else.
    

    November 17 at 1:27pm ·