Bohol quake spares statue of Mary's mother in collapsed church

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATED) The deadly magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Bohol on Tuesday heavily damaged the centuries-old Baclayon Church but an encased statue of St. Anne, Mary's mother, remain unscathed.

In a phone-patch interview on ANC on Thursday morning, Baclayon Mayor Alvin Uy said the image was left standing even if the church collapsed.

He noted that even the glass casing of the statue did not sustain any crack.

The Baclayon Church was among the several churches in Bohol and Cebu that were heavily damaged by the powerful earthquake Tuesday.

Read: Iconic Phl churches crumble

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that the facade and bell tower of the Baclayon Church was totally damaged.

Other churches damaged in Bohol were those in the towns of Loboc, Cortes, Maribooc, Loon and Dawis.

In Cebu, the bell tower of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño also collapsed while the Dalaguete Church sustained multiple cracks.

The lead agencies in the restoration efforts for the damaged churches are the National Commission on Culture and the Arts the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum. -Louis Bacani

Related: PNoy to seek private sector's help to rebuild damaged churches