ILAGAN CITY, Isabela, Philippines – The St. Ferdinand parish church in this city, a 400-year-old cathedral, was destroyed in a fire on Monday.
Bishop David William Antonio said the fire, which broke out at 11:30 a.m., “destroyed everything“ at the altar, but parishioners managed to bring out several religious images.
“The fire ravaged everything,” parish priest Father Ric-Zeus Angobang was quoted as saying in a report by CBCP News.
Bureau of Fire Protection members and volunteers put out the fire after an hour.
Arson probers have yet to determine the cause of the fire and extent of damage.
Parish priest Ric-Zeus Angobung said the fire occurred as workers were installing steel trusses on the church ceiling.
The St. Ferdinand parish church was the first cathedral to be built when Ilagan was established as a diocese in 1970.