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BOLJOON, Cebu — Following the return of four stolen wooden panels to the centuries-old church in Boljoon, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia renewed her call for the repatriation of all religious artifacts looted from Cebu's heritage churches.
THANKSGIVING MASS Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma delivers his homily from the centuries-old pulpit of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima in Boljoon, Cebu, during a thanksgiving Mass on March 21, 2025. Four of the six original panels, stolen in the 1980s, were recently returned; one remains missing, with a vacant space left in its place. KAISER JAN FUENTES
She urged those who possess such items to restore what she described as "pieces of our soul" to their rightful place.
The panels, part of the intricately carved 18th-century pulpit of the Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santisima, were formally turned over by the National Museum of the Philippines to the Archdiocese of Cebu during a pontifical Mass on Friday.
Their return marks a significant moment in Boljoon's ongoing efforts to reclaim its religious and cultural legacy more than four decades after the theft.
Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma, who is near retiring after turning 75 years old on Wednesday, presided over a Mass and delivered his homily from the same pulpit that had been stripped of its panels in the 1980s.
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His use of the structure during the liturgy underscored the pulpit's enduring role as a living symbol of faith and tradition.
One panel had remained in the church's custody throughout the years, while the four stolen ones had been in the National Museum's collection.
They were displayed in a February 2024 exhibit in Manila, where they drew immediate attention from Cebu officials and heritage advocates. The sixth panel remains missing, with a vacant space left in the pulpit to mark its absence.
Garcia, who led the push for their return, said the panels were not merely decorative but sacred.
Their removal, she explained, had been done without the consent of the late Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and constituted both a cultural offense and a breach of church authority.
Acting on a special power of attorney granted by the archdiocese, Garcia pursued legal options and applied pressure on the National Museum's board of trustees.
Her efforts ultimately led to the board's decision to return the panels to their rightful home.
Garcia said the recovery of the pulpit panels is only part of a larger campaign. She emphasized the need to locate and return other religious artifacts that were taken from Ce-bu's churches during the 1970s and 1980s.
"Please return it to the people of Boljoon. Give it back to the heritage of the Cebuanos," she appealed.
She also reminded institutions and individuals who may still possess such items, knowingly or unknowingly, that they have a moral obligation to restore these objects to the communities from which they came, especially if they were acquired under questionable circumstances.
Boljoon Mayor Joie Genesse Derama expressed gratitude to Garcia, Archbishop Palma and Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who is a member of the National Museum board.
He described the event as a milestone in Boljoon's journey to safeguard its heritage.
National Museum Director General Jeremy Barns, who attended the turnover ceremony, acknowledged delays in the repatriation and publicly apologized.
He said the museum would work more closely with local stakeholders moving forward to address similar concerns.
National Commission for Culture and the Arts Chairman Victorino Manalo supported the call to return sacred artifacts to their original settings.
He said these objects hold deeper meaning when they remain in the religious and cultural context for which they were created.
The four returned panels had been donated to the museum by private collectors, but their appearance in a national exhibit sparked questions about how they had been ac-quired.
Garcia was one of the first to speak out, asserting that the archdiocese had never authorized their removal.
Carved from hardwood in the Spanish colonial baroque style, the pulpit is considered one of the finest examples of religious art in the country.
It is part of the church complex in Boljoon, a site recognized as both a National Historical Landmark and a National Cultural Treasure.
KAISER JAN FUENTES
