Santa Barbara Parish Church and Convent. JAN PAUL PARRENO | PN

ILOILO – The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) plans to establish an ecclesiastical museum in the town of Santa Barbara.

Executive Director Ludovico Badoy said the museum will house the garbs of priests, books and other materials on the history of churches in the area, among others.

“One of the oldest here is the Santa Barbara Church and this was used by General Martin Delgado as headquarters,” said Badoy on the sidelines of the commemoration of the centennial death anniversary of Delgado on Monday.

The Santa Barbara Church and Convent was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute on Nov. 17, 2012.

Badoy said they used to have funds for the conversion of the place into an ecclesiastical museum but the former parish priest was not favor of the plan. At present, they still must ask Congress and President Rodrigo Duterte to provide the needed funds.

Meanwhile, Badoy also expressed optimism for the opening of the Visayas Economic Museum at the old building of the Commission on Audit (COA) near Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City.

He cited that the museum is important because the “first sugar industry” was in Iloilo City.

“We are hoping it will be opened before the year ends. We are now doing the curatorial work, the structural is completed,” he said. (PNA)

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