Fire destroys Oslob church, convent

[Rance]

Ohh man.. sayanga t'was a landmark in that town sauna if we drive cross town we passed by and took some pictures or pa relax lang as rest area.. lots of history behind the place.

[herzabarJR]

Faulty electrical wiring was the suspect of the cause of fire. The parish priest there said the wirings could have been 100-150 yrs old already.

According to the priest there was already ELECTRICITY in that area 150 YEARS AGO? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA There was no electricity in Cebu City 150 years ago how much more in a REMOTE place called Oslob. Diin sila kuha ug kuryente sa ilang lubot?

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb...ire.scene.html

"THE fire that struck the southern town of Oslob, Cebu yesterday once again highlighted the poor state of firefighting equipment of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Firefighters, assisted by 10 residents, had to push one of Oslob’s firetrucks to the scene of the fire, 50 meters away, so that it could pump water to put out the blaze. "

"The town’s sole firetruck with a functioning pump did not have a clutch repair kit and the firemen had no choice but to push the truck to the Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Poblacion, Oslob early morning yesterday.

They did not use the second firetruck because it has a defective pump. "

HAHAHAHA, if you think about, it is like watching a Tagalog Comedy movie mura sila ug Kenkoy.... Murphy's Law or The Will of God
Pushing the Firetruck was in an exercise in futility... The firetruck was not able to prevent the Church from burning down and it was not able to put out the fire... Nag usik usik lang sila sa tubig...

Gibyaan kuno sa pari na naka ON iyang PC og modem kay nag download kuno siya ug Horton Hears a Who......

I think it's about time all old churches should update their wiring systems including warning or security systems so as to prevent fires in the future. much more with burglary of antique pieces...

As what is said on a bumper sticker "God is my security system" ... hehehehe

Ohh man.. sayanga t'was a landmark in that town sauna if we drive cross town we passed by and took some pictures or pa relax lang as rest area.. lots of history behind the place.

Now without the Church, unsa na lay naa sa Oslob, ilang Merkado?

[Bahalina-boy]

sayanga sa ila church. naay pic sa bag-o human sa sunog?

[love2travel]

An article from Sunstar:

Friday, March 28, 2008
New Oslob church 'up within the year'

CEBU Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal yesterday challenged the public to help rebuild the Oslob parish church within the year, as investigators identified an electrical short-circuit as the cause behind last Wednesday’s fire.

“I was on my way to Manila when I heard about the fire on the radio. I could hardly believe it,” the prelate told ABS-CBN during a visit to what remained of the Immaculate Conception Parish.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 Director Eleuterio Iturriaga sent Provincial Fire Marshal Victor Vibares to conduct a separate investigation, after initial reports said that firefighters and residents had to push one of the town’s two firetrucks just to reach the church, some 50 meters away.

Oslob Fire Marshal Jaime Sucayno, in his report, traced the flames to an electrical short-circuit in the second-floor bedroom of the convent occupied by the parish priest, Rev. Fr. Val Gemelo.

Sucayno’s report didn’t say how much the fire destroyed, pending an inventory of the antiques and other valuables lost during the eight-hour blaze.

In its local newscast yesterday, ABS-CBN aired footage of Cardinal Vidal walking beside the charred stone walls of what remained of the church, one of the oldest in Cebu.

“If only the fire trucks came...and the parish priest was also inside...it would not have reached the church,” Vidal mused.

Rebuilding

He plans to meet with the administrative board of the Archdiocese today to discuss how they can rebuild the Oslob church. He also announced that the church is open to donations to help rebuild the structure.

He told the TV crew that he had to ask an architect or an engineer if the church’s original structure could still be used as a foundation, as it was clearly a thick wall.

Cardinal Vidal was visibly saddened at seeing the damage and said that he clearly remembered what the church looked like. The last time Vidal visited the Immaculate Conception Parish was during its fiesta on Dec. 8 last year.

The prelate also checked on the condition of the antique icons and asked the parish priest to try and stick to the normal parish activities.

Meanwhile, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, tourism officials and some town mayors in the province questioned Msgr. Achilles Dakay for saying that the Provincial Government should focus on urgent problems during the Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo, instead of the food and other attractions.

Offer

Dakay has said that the fire that razed the Oslob parish should serve as a wake-up call for the Provincial Government. He serves as the media liaison officer of the Archdiocese of Cebu.

Garcia said that Dakay may have been misinformed of the activities, which is why she is inviting the monsignor to the Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo Northern Heritage Trail on April 8-10.

The tourism promotion program allows provincial officials to find out what each town needs, she explained.

Though the governor explained that the Province is not extending financial aid for the Oslob church project—citing the separation of church and state—she said she is willing to give a month’s salary to the effort.

She pointed out that the Provincial Government gave P3.2 million for the rehabilitation of Boljoon Church, after the National Heritage Council declared it as one of heritage sites in the province.

Dawnie Roa, director of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas, said that the monsignor may have been frustrated over what happened to the church, so he issued that comment.

Tragic timing

Roa added, however, that the lechon served during the tour “is just a component of the entire program.” What the Suroy-Suroy aims to do is showcase each town’s culture and heritage.

Provincial Board (PB) Member Agnes Magpale, chairperson of the committee on tourism and international affairs, said the tour is meant to promote Cebu as “a wholesome destination.”

She added that about 24 fire trucks were donated by the Provincial Government to several towns, including Oslob.

Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren said that it was unfortunate that the fire occurred while the town’s two firetrucks were undergoing repair.

The first dump truck, recently donated by the Capitol, needs a clutch repair kit, while the older one needs to have its hose replaced. Guaren said that local officials already requested for the purchase of the replacement parts.

He also said that his office is willing to allocate funds to help with the repairs, but is studying how this can be done without violating the law.

The mayor said that local officials also tapped the services of the Parish Pastoral Council for the inventory and turnover of the images of the saints.

Argao Mayor Edsel Galeos, Sibonga Mayor Lionel Bacaltos and Dalaguete Mayor Andrade Alcantara all defended the governor and the tourism promotion program, with Galeos adding that he found the monsignor’s comment “unfair.” (MEA/With GMD)

[slakker]

its a very great loss... sayang wa pa ko kaadto gyud sukad...

[carbrill]

Sayang ang oslob church and convent kay one of the oldest church and convent dnhi sa cbu... di noon to masunog ang tanan if nangita ug paagi ang nga bobero bsag guba ang ila fire truck... it is not a reason nga guba ang fire truck meaning di sila ready mo service sa kataohan? kibaw jd sila nga bisag ka nus a nang sunog mahitabo plus fire month prevention pa jd tong month...

hope they can rebuild it and start all over again with a new hope... char... hahahaha....

[jawa kaw !]

hmm igo rjud mi nka adto ani together with Head567, Ramhot and Cain pag Holy Week . after a few day's nasunog. sayang kaau.

[yami]

wala na clay mabuhat kung karon pa na nila ayohon ang firetrucks kay humana naman ang sunog...

I heard from the news, ang cebu city mayor kay ni donate daw ug fire extinguisher ug balde...

[slakker]

away na pud si gwen ug tom tungod ani...

[love2travel]

sakto gyud ka! comment ni tommy... instead of igat-igat and suroy-suroy, dapat gi-ayo nila Gwen ang mga butang nga angay ayohon sa mga southern towns...