By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
The historic St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church in Barangay Vito in Sagay City, Negros Occidental was damaged after a fire gutted a portion of the church’s interior.
Based on information released by the city’s Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), they received the fire call at around 11:17 p.m. on Friday, July 9.
Upon the arrival of the firefighters, the blaze had already gutted the right portion of the church’s interior.
Arson investigators believe the fire quickly spread as the portion of the church is made of light-weight materials, especially the ceiling which was estimated to be a century-old.
Firefighters managed to douse the blaze within a few minutes of their arrival, preventing it from totally gutting the whole church. The BFP estimated the cost of damage at under P100,000.
In a statement released by the church’’s parish priest, Reverend Fr. Joseph Tubiera, they believe the fire was caused by one of the church’s amplifier sound system which they may have forgotten to unplug.
“At the moment, we are in constant coordination with the authorities to ensure the safety of other structures adjacent to the site of the incident, and to determine whether these areas are still viable for use for other spiritual activities of the community,” Tubiera said.
The parish community of St. Vincent Ferrer in Barangay Vito is also asking for prayers and all sorts of support in helping their beloved church to thrive and recover from the untoward incident.
Tubiera added the church will continue its worship services, while the damaged portion will temporarily be closed down to the public.
The historic St. Vincent Ferrer Parish Church was established by Augustian Recollect friars in 1860.
The church also hosts a religious ritual called “Palapak” wherein a century-old image of St. Vicent Ferrer is placed on different parts of a person’s body to cure ailments.
The church is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Negros Occidental, particularly during the Good Friday observance./DGB, WDJ