Barili folk sign petition vs church plaza conversion

CEBU, Philippines - Thousands of parishioners in the town of Barili in Cebu are protesting over the plan of their parish priest to convert the church plaza into a pay parking area and terminal.

Nearly 2,500 people including Barilinians abroad have signed a 100-page petition of protest against the plan of parish Team Ministry Moderator Rev. Msgr. Rolando Jimenez to turn Sta. Ana Church’s plaza into a parking slot.

The petition was reportedly submitted to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma yesterday.

 “We maintain our stand that the place cannot be touched or changed for historical reasons and for its heritage value,” Azucena Pace, chairman of the Santa Ana Shrine Ecclesiastical Heritage Committee, said.

The petition, she said, is aimed at helping the prelate decide on the “crucial” issue.

Apart from the petition letter, the Barili municipal council also passed a resolution, asking Archbishop Palma to reconsider the plan to convert the parish kiosk grounds of Sta. Ana Church, a Diocesan Shrine.

The conversion plan stemmed allegedly from the traffic congestion problem around the area.

Local officials, however, belied the traffic problem issue.

Based on their resolution, traffic congestion was already addressed through an existing ordinance, designating parking area for multicabs, delivery vans, motorcycles for hire, private cars and trisikad, among others.

“As representative of the people we implore and suggest that the plan be aborted and instead make the area an eco-tourism park and if the church really wanted for a revenue-generating project, there are lots of areas which the church owns where they can construct the project like the area at the back of the food stalls near the tennis court,” read the two-page resolution.

Fr. Brian Brigoli, chairman for the Commission on Cultural Heritage of the Church, said the issue was already settled between Msgr. Jimenez and the parishioners two days before the town’s fiesta on July 25 to 26.

Brigoli was asked by Palma to intervene in the issue.

“As of now, it remains as a plaza,” Brigoli told The FREEMAN.

Brigoli, however, clarified that if the plan pushes through, Palma will decide on it as the “juridical” person of the property.

He assured that the design of the plan is “sensitive” to the architectural design of the church and to the people as well.

“The plan to include parking base or landscape would not destroy the church,” Brigoli said. — (FREEMAN)