The ruins of the façade of the Baclayon church and its belfry will provide a dramatic sidebar marking the celebration today of the feast of Immaculate Conception, the venerated patroness of the municipality. Highlighting today's feast of the Blessed Virgin is the pontifical mass at 7:30 this morning with The Most Reverend Leonardo Medrozo, D.D., bishop of the diocese of Tagbilaran officiating. Other masses are at 5:30 AM with Fr. Ruel Pangan officiating; 10:00AM with Fr. Didi Amper presiding over and 5:00PM with Fr. Lito Giangan, parish priest as celebrant. Today's Baclayon fiesta also marked the opening of the highway fronting the church which was closed since an earthquake shook Bohol on October 15, 2013 making the historic church as a collateral damage along with other houses of worship like the Kasilak church in Loon and the St. Peter church in Loboc, to name a few churches that suffered damages in the wake of the killer quake.

The highway closure triggered complaints from motorists who had to take a circuitous route that would take them to a diversion road passing the town cemetery. Baclayon Mayor Alvin appealed for consideration given the long and winding detour since the LGU has to ask for clearance first from the National Historical Institute, the body tasked to oversee national treasures like the Baclayon church. With the NHI undertaking the inventory of the ruins of the centuries-old church which it dubbed as pre-restoration phase, a detour was put in place in front of the damaged façade to make way for motorists easy access on their way from Tagbilaran to any part in the interior and eastern parts of Bohol. Motorists on the way to this city has to pass a detour road at the back of the Baclayon Central School.

The new detour fronting the damaged church is fully asphalted upon representation of Mayor Uy with Ronnie Tiu, owner of an asphalt batching plant located in Montana, Baclayon town. As today's masses are held in honor of the Virgin Mary, a temporary site is prepared in front of the Baclayon Central grounds. No estimate yet as to how much will it cost to restore the Baclayon church to its former glory and grandeur. The national government, local government unit, National Historical Commission and private sector were tapped to undertake the massive restoration works of one of the oldest stone churches in the country.