DUMAGUETE CITY – Following a five-day intensive training course on the conservation of church cultural heritage objects and structures, participants from various parishes are expected to apply the techniques that they had learned from the different modules presented by the National Heritage Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
“You are now officially called heritage workers, and we hope that what you have learned these past days will be applied as you return to your individual parishes/churches,” Rommel Aquino, senior conservator and chief of the NHCP’s Materials Research Conservation Division (MRCD) said Friday afternoon prior to the training course’s close.
In an interview later, Aquino said, “We hope that the participants would go home and view with fresh eyes the heritage items in their parishes and start implementing what they have learned.”
According to him, the modules presented in the past days were simplified especially as this is the first time for majority, if not all of the participants, to be exposed to the conservation of church cultural heritage items.
“We wanted it doable. We simplified everything, para mas madali nilang magawa (for easier application) because the more complicated it is, the more hesitant they are to start a lot of things.”
The training, dubbed “Conservation Goes To The Province” is the eight of its kind and this year, the NHCP chose the Diocese of Dumaguete as its partner because according to Aquino, there are a lot of potential heritage sites here.
To start with, the heritage workers can go back to their respective parishes and start with an inventory of the ecclesiastical items that can be found in their churches and convents, he said.
“We’re also expecting them to contact us every time they have a query and we will keep our lines open to ensure sustainability of this project,” he added.
During the past five days, participants were subjected to lectures and hands-on training on different modules for the conservation of moveable materials made of paper, wood, metal, polychrome, and textile, as well as on immoveable materials such as the Dumaguete belfry.
The participants were taught techniques on “accessioning”, a term used in the documentation/ inventory of items, where the description and other vital information of a heritage item is written down.
Hands-on training included the restoration of old paintings with wooden frames, the proper methods of cleaning metal objects such as a brass monstrance with the use of the appropriate medium, how to dress up images of saints and the restoration of old vestments, and basic cleaning of a moss-covered portion of the centuries-old belfry.
An old “Libro de Bautismo” or book of baptismal records dating back to 1918 from the parish of Siaton town was among the oldest items brought to the conservation training. NHCP conservators demonstrated how to preserve the book from further deterioration.
One module also discussed about disaster preparedness, rescue, and recovery of heritage items.
Another interesting discussion was on making three-dimensional (3D) digital images to aid in the documentation as well as for restoration purposes.
In his closing message, Msgr. Julius Heruela, chairman of the Commission on Church Cultural Heritage, and the diocese’s point person for the conservation training, encouraged the participants to embark on an inventory upon return to their respective areas.
According to him, the Commission will meet soon for a post-training evaluation and will come up with its plans, programs and actions (PPOA) to serve as a guide in pursuit of the conservation of the diocese’s heritage structures and ecclesiastical objects.
What is important now, according to the NHCP’s senior conservator, is the sustainability of the training considering that heritage conservation is still something new to many.
“We need to ensure that sustainable ang project na ito (this project will be sustainable) and perhaps in the next years or so we can start with another refresher training in the next few years,” he said.
Asked whether he was satisfied with the outcome of this week’s activity, Aquino said: “I was very surprised with the turnout and the quality of the participants. What I saw in the past days is that people who are really the caretakers of the treasures of the church are the ones that were really sent to the training.”
More than 100 participants attended the training course but many chose only the modules that were best suited them.
Some parish priests were also present, especially those whose churches, like in Dauin and Zamboanguita, are up for restoration after having received millions of pesos in funding from the NHCP. (Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA)
