Church in Alabang celebrates 20th year termite free

MANILA, Philippines - The idea of ‘God made flesh’ is rendered more down-to-earth and, in a sense more sincere, when one learns that even a lofty church has to contend with something that afflicts down to the humblest of humans -- the plague of termites.

Constructed in 1991 with an architectural style that evokes the look of “old world church,” St. James the Great is situated on land donated by developer Ayala Land. The church in Ayala Alabang Village is big, able to accommodate up to 2,000 people. Its patron saint was an apostle of Jesus and a brother of John the Beloved; he was present at the Lord’s Transfiguration and at the agony in Gethsemane, and afterwards became a pillar of Christian faith in the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain.

At least since a decade ago, termite infestation became a continuing concern for administrators of the St. James the Great church. Back then, the company Entom Pest Control serviced the parish by installing a baiting system that was considered revolutionary at the time but it also did not come cheap. When the termite colonies were eliminated and because continued payments for termite monitoring were required, the church decided not to renew the contract and moved on to other pest control companies. The termites came back and for a time, the church of St. James was treated with liquid repellent termiticides that had very strong odors, “amoy gaas,” and the treatments did not prove very effective.

Last year, termites were detected on the side altar of the church. Entom was once again called in, and the pestcon team discovered that there were infestations in other areas within the property, including the priests’ quarters, a pocket garden where a palm tree had started to grow a termite mound, and a sound room next to the pocket garden.

Transfer Effect

According to Rey Joaquin, executive assistant of St. James the Great Parish Office, the pest control group helped save the side altar and kept the infestation from spreading high into the ceiling. He says about Entom: “What I have observed is that they know their trade very well. They could readily identify the infested area.”

Entom recommended the latest treatment innovation in the Philippines, Ceptiva, for the kind of infestation that beset the church. Manufactured by BASF and exclusively distributed locally by Upgreen Corporation, Ceptiva works via “Transfer Effect” -- affected insects spread the powder to other termites in the colony through contact, grooming behavior, and food exchange.

Entom sales and marketing assistant May Mabiog explains that it was a persistent type of termite that was infesting the premises. Aside from being cost-effective and offering a better warranty, the product was recommended to the parish “because it can eliminate all types of subterranean termites.” Ceptiva powder treatment is precise since it is applied only on areas where active termites are present, and requires only about 3-5 grams of powder per area being treated. Containing 0.5 percent Fipronil, it appears as an odorless mist that is proven to have low toxicity to humans and animals. It took under two months (four visits) to completely eliminate the termite colonies.

While the church houses the sacred, its Sunday-to-Sunday operations require a pragmatic approach grounded in the realities of its environment. Joaquin reflects on this very human condition when he says, “Walang iniwan sa hotel na pag nabulok ay di papasukin.”

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