By: Joe Sprite

The Jagna Parish has plans to rehabilitate, reconstruct, improve or whatever the Jagna Catholic Church. We could say rehabilitate since the intention is to restore the church to its original condition. The term reconstruct may be used because they would restore the church to its original shape and improve because they have intentions of adding on structures, which might beautify or make the use of the edifice convenient to use. The money to be used comes from the efforts of Mnsr. Orencio Jubac.

Since after the disastrous earthquake, that toppled the belfry, the church had undergone many improvements. First, the left bell tower – we say left when one is facing the church – had been restored. The bells had been mounted in place and they could be heard all over Metro Jagna and beyond. There was a time when a sound system was installed by Fr. Silvano Evangelista. The Christmas songs of the system called the faithful to dawn and midnight masses in Christmas season, an innovation well appreciated by the churchgoers.

A new convent was constructed and the paintings in the ceiling of the church were restored by our own Sal Orts or Rosalio Ortiz. Most of the improvements were made under Mnsr. Jubac. The tireless and resourceful fundraiser may have the intention of leaving his mark before he will be transferred to other parishes. However, the Jagna anons loved him so much that they not only moved for his retention here but also made him an honorary citizen of Jagna. Incidentally, we have not checked if this man of God writes his name with a J rather than with an H. Since the latter letter – no pun intended - strongly reminds us of a respiratory disorder caused by allergy, we would rather use the J.

Jagna public edifices, the church for one had undergone rehabilitation. However, while the buildings and landmarks had regained strength top last another hundred years or more, some losses had been suffered. Aesthetically, there might have been some improvement but culturally, losses had been experienced. The old building in front of the Rizal monument was torn down to make way for a hospital. So were the old Spanish buildings behind it. The façade of the old church was improved. The rectangular toped with a triangular front was altered into rounded lines. The result was an aesthetical (?) gain but a cultural loss. While other towns in the country are trying to preserve their historical landmarks as cultural heritage, we are tearing ours down to make way for the new.

This time, there is a plan to rebuild the right bell tower of the church. Church authorities say that the belfry if we may call it that will be restored to its old condition. They are basing their plans on an old 1918 or thereabouts picture. A perspective of the intended project had been drawn but there had been some adverse comments from some parishioners. We are not trying to stir up a controversy but since the results of the construction is more or less permanent, unfavorable opinions must be addressed before construction starts. This time the church authorities will have to consider the existence of the Jagna Culture and Arts Council, a body created by the Local Government Unit of Jagna. Although the construction is a church affair and the money had been contributed by church parishioners, those parishioners are also constituents of the Municipality of Jagna. Some of them are culture conscious, what with the cultural losses incurred in the past. Had there been no adverse opinions, the church can go ahead. Besides the Philippine Historical Society may also have a say on the affair.