403-year-old Makati church declared ‘important cultural property’

MANILA, Philippines — The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has declared the 403-year-old Saints Peter and Paul Church in Makati City as an important cultural property.

According to CBCP News over the weekend, the NMP made the announcement on June 29, the feast day of the church’s patron saints, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

NMP’s chief archeologist Mary Jane Louise Bolunia said the church was declared a cultural treasure for its “exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the entire country.”

She said that the house of worship “has stood the test of time” and “this alone is a testament to Makati’s importance to our life as a nation.”

She also said that “the declaration of this beautiful church is also a way of saying there is so much to discover about Makati’s history and heritage.”

Present at the ceremony were Manila Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula, some members of the clergy, and city officials.

According to the church’s historical marker, the Franciscans were the first missionaries in the area in 1578. In 1620, the Jesuits built the church dedicated to St. Peter and administered it until 1768.

The church is home to the revered image of Virgin dela Rosa, which was brought from Spain via Mexico by a Jesuit priest in 1718.

In 1639, the church was the battleground of political and military turmoil during the Chinese uprising.

During the Philippine-American War in 1899, United States troops used the church as their headquarters and hospital.

In 1951, two parishes were carved out of St. Peter Church—the San Ildefonso Parish in the barrio of Culi-Culi and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in barrio Guadalupe Viejo.

After the Vatican II in 1965, St. Paul was added as a titular of the church, changing its name to “Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church.”