Cultural Anthropology I Term Paper I

San Sebastian Basilica: An Architectural Treasure in Quiapo Manila

[Credits to the owner]

Not much was written and not many Filipinos are aware about it but San Sebastian
Church, also known as Basilica Minore de San Sebastian, home of the revered Marian image,
the Our Lady of Mount Carmel, holds great significance and rich history as well as the other
well-known churches or structures here in the Philippines. Despite the discrepancies in the
dates of its founding, the San Sebastian Church is the only all-steel edifice in the country since
its inauguration in 1891 and is the only prefabricated steel church in the world. San Sebastian
Church is under the care of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, who also operate a college
adjacent to the basilica. It is located at Plaza del Carmen, at the eastern end of Recto Avenue,
in Quiapo, Manila. There is also an interesting story about the churchs architectural background
making it unique from the others.

Way back in 1651, a generous patron and a devotee of the christian martyr Saint
Sebastian, Don Bernardino Castillo, donated his lot for the dream of having a steel church in
Asia become a reality. The original church, made of wood, burned in 1651 during a Limahong
uprising. The succeeding structures, which were built of bricks, were destroyed by fire and
earthquakes in 1859, 1863, and 1880. In the 1880s, Esteban Martnez, the parish priest of the
ruined church, approached the Spanish Architect Genaro Palacios, with a plan to build a fire
and earthquake proof church made entirely of steel. Palacios agreed and completed a design
that fused the Baroque and Neo-Gothic styles of Architecture. His design was said to have been
inspired by the famed gothic Burgos Cathedral in Burgos, Spain. The prefabricated steel
sections of the church were manufactured in Binche, Belgium. In all, 52 tons of the steel
sections were transported in eight separate shipments from Belgium to the Philippines, the first
shipment arriving in 1888. Belgian engineers supervised the assembly of the church, the first
column of which was erected on September 11, 1890. The walls were filled with mixed sand,
gravel and cement. To date, the church withstood 11 major earthquakes.

According to Jesus Pastor Paloma, an Augustinian Recollect priest, the structure was
also supposed to have a prefabricated retablo altar, which was lost at sea when the ship
carrying it from Belgium capsized in a storm and a wooden altar was made locally instead.
Paloma also noted that the bottom part of the church was designed to resemble a ship's hull, so
that it would sway during an earthquake. The basilica was made without the use of welding but
instead, was fastened by rivets and bolts and its interiors was painted to look like it was made of
stone. Based on research, seven countries collaborated for its construction: Belgium, Britain,
Germany, China, France, Spain, and the Philippines. The Belgian Societe Anonyme de Travaux
Publics was the contractor; the British Frederick Henry Reade Sawyer was the foreman; the
German Studio Henri Oidtman made the glass windows; Quintin, a Chinese craftsman did the
floors; the French Magin Pers made the foundations; the Spaniard Genaro Palacios designed
the building; and the Filipino students of the Academia de Pintura, Dibujo y Grabado which
evolved to become the UP College of Fine Arts painted the interior finishes.

The church stands as a marvel in structural engineering skills and artistic creativity with
its Gothicized pulpit and confessionals; silver frontals; frescoes and ornaments; delicately
wrought ironworks and chandeliers; its twin spires with belfry; and the intricate massive
paintings on colored glass which was freshly introduced to the Philippines by an international
multi-awarded studio in Brussels, Belgium, the National Museum said.

The church was raised to the status of a Minor Basilica by Pope Leo XII,June 24th,
1890. Upon final completion on August 16, 1891, the Basilica Minore de San Sebastian was
consecrated by the then Archbishop of Manila, Bernardo Nozaleda. San Sebastian Church was
designated as a National Historical Landmark by the Philippine government in 1973 and in 2006
and was included in the tentative list for possible designation as a World Heritage Site.

It was also rumored that the prominent French Engineer, Gustave Eiffel of the Statue of
Liberty and Eiffel tower fame, had also had a hand in designing the basilica. Ambeth Ocampo, a
Filipino historian and writer, once wrote that the story of San Sebastian Church began when
Chinese-American, I.M. Pei, visited the Philippines in the late 70s. He came to confirm of a
news he has heard that Gustave Eiffel designed a steel church in Asia. Inspecting the church,
he later declared that the metal fixtures and the overall structure were no less designed by
Gustave Eiffel. But according to San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development
Foundation, Inc., way back in 2014 when I was still studying high school in San Sebastian
College- Recoletos, we had a seminar inside the basilica and they said these are merely
speculations and hearsays.
 In 1998, the San Sebastian Basilica was placed on the biennial watch list of the 100
Most Endangered Sites by the World Monuments Funds, though it was not retained in the
succeeding watch lists. The San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development
Foundation, Inc. was formed on 2008 led by the current executive director Tina Paterno. They
launched a 10-year restoration project and the target date for the completion is on 2020. The
foundation is composed of friars from the Order of the Augustinian Recollects, and conservation
professionals, businessmen and philanthropists who have organized an effort to save San
Sebastian Basilica. Their main goal is to extend the lifespan of the building and all original parts
inside. The restoration is being funded by grants from the National Commission for Culture and
the Arts, United States-based heritage preservation group Bakas Pilipinas and the US
Department of State through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, via the US
Embassy in Manila.

This was during the visit of U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg. The U.S
Department of State funded the projects diagnostic phase. The financial assistance enabled
a full-time staff to research, document and diagnose the building to know the deteriorations
and its causes. [Photo by SSBCDFI]
 The Meinhardt Philippines Inc. + borescope inspects cladding attachments through a
small hole, and corrosion scientist looks cast iron on the dome through a telescope to further
understand the Basilicas deteriorations and what causing it. [Photo by SSBCDFI]

Some shots up close of general patterns of deterioration of San Sebastian Basilica. This
close inspection enabled the team to discover that the rain water has seeped into the hollow
columns, corroding them from within. [Photo by SSBCDFI]
 The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) was one method the SSBCDFI team used to
look for the legendary cellar, and to verify for the structural engineers if the basilica has tie
beams underground. Sonar waves scanned up to 5 meters below the floor, and can detect
air, stone, wood, water, and gold based on density. The SSBCI found a letter in the parish
archives from a treasure hunter who wanted permission to dig through the church floors in
search of a secret cellar with gold. The team havent found any treasure yet but the
maintenance staff from the 80s insists that there is a hidden entrance at the altars floor.
[Photo by SSBCDFI]

It is good to know that there are organizations like SSBCDFI that really gives importance
and effort to restore a historical landmark together with other organizations and good
Samaritans that gives financial assistance. San Sebastian Basilica is definitely one of the
architectural edifice that Filipinos should be proud of and give importance to. It is truly a treasure
of the arts that exudes great beauty and architecture. And this beauty could be retained if we
work altogether by spreading the awareness that we have such architectural treasure.
References:

San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc.

Conopio, Camille. "Gothic architecture: Basilica Minore de San Sebastian." Asian Journal,
January 22, 2014
http://asianjournal.com/lifestyle/gothic-architecture-basilica-minore-de-san-sebastian/

Coyne, Milton. "EXPLORING THE SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH OF MANILA." BlueDreamer,

September 1, 2016
http://www.bluedreamer27.com/exploring-the-san-sebastian-church-of-manila/

De Jesus, Findelle. "THE SAN SEBASTIAN CHURCH -- GUSTAVE EIFFEL'S CHURCH IN

THE PHILIPPINES." Artes de las Filipinas, 2016
http://www.artesdelasfilipinas.com/archives/24/the-san-sebastian-church-gustave-eiffel-s-
church-in-the-philippines

Galvez, Alma. "The Steel Church of Asia: The san Sebastian Church." Knoji, Apr 17, 2010
https://philippines.knoji.com/the-steel-church-of-asia-the-san-sebastian-church/

Larano, Cris. "Rescuing Manila's Steel Church." The Wall Street Journal, January 18, 2013
http://historicphilippines.com/churches-volume-2/historic-churches-vii/san-sebastian-church-in-
quiapo/

Sangoyo, Christian. "Metro Manila Basilica Minore de San Sebastian." Lakad Pilipinas, August
24, 2010
http://www.lakadpilipinas.com/2010/08/manila-basilica-minore-de-san-sebastian.html
 San Sebastian Basilica:
An Architectural Treasure in Quiapo Manila
Cultural Anthropology I Term Paper I

Submitted by:

Mary Grace Princess Principe

Lara Angelika Beron

Jimuel Franz De Guzman