Rust and Corrosion Threatens San Sebastian Church

San Sebastian Church, one of the most popular Philippine church wedding venues, is slowly falling apart as rust and corrosion creep into the foundation of this all-steel church.

In an interview, Ms. Tina Paterno, project director of the San Sebastian Conservation Development Foundation (SSCDF), said that the Basilica Minore de San Sebastián at Plaza del Carmen in Quiapo, Manila, is in dire need of restoration as rust has gotten into this popular Philippine church wedding venue She said that at least 36 kilos of steel have fallen from the ceiling and other parts of the basilica.

To save the structure, the Foundation intends to look at the church, determine and remove the unstable parts to make the church safe for the those hearing Mass and holding their Philippine weddings here.

Fr. Rene Paglinawan, Board member of SSCDF, has appealed to the community to help them preserve the neo-gothic and only all-steel church in Asia.

Completed in 1891, the San Sebastian Church was declared as a National Cultural Treasure by former President Ferdinand Marcos through Presidential Decree No. 260, signed in August 1, 1873. On May 16, 2006, San Sebastián Church was included in the Tentative List for possible designation as a World Heritage Site, on account of its architectural and historical heritage.

According to local historian Ambeth Ocampo, Gustave Eiffel, the French engineer behind the Eiffel Tower and the steel structure within the Statue of Liberty, was involved in the design and construction of the church. With its outstanding architecture and accessible location, Basilica Minore de San Sebastián has become one of the most sought-after Philippine church wedding venues.

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Kasal.com thanks the following sources for this article:
abs-cbnNEWS.com. Rust threatens historic steel church in Manila (Posted July 21, 2010)
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/metro-manila/07/12/10/rust-threatens-historic-steel-church-manila

Laya, Dr. Jaime, Manila Bulletin. San Sebastian Church: An Endangered Treasure (Posted August 1, 2010) Retrieved August 3, 2010 from
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/270103/san-sebastian-church-an-endangered-treasure

Wikipedia.org. Basilica of San Sebastian, Manila. (Posted July 24, 2010) Retrieved August 3, 2010 from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_San_Sebastian,_Manila