‘La Pieta’ will be replaced, says Calbayog diocese
TACLOBAN CITY—The Diocese of Calbayog in Samar province is replacing the monument honoring the victims of the world’s deadliest peacetime maritime disaster which was recently destroyed while the park where it stood was cleared for the construction of a pizza chain outlet.
In a three-page statement on Monday, Fr. Noel Labendia, the diocesan vicar, said the diocese had asked the local franchise partner of Shakey’s Pizza to replace the “La Pieta” sculpture that was built on a church-owned property in Catbalogan City to remember the more than 4,000 people who died in the 1987 collision between MV Doña Paz and oil tanker MT Vector.
He clarified that the shrine—which featured a sculpture of a distraught Virgin Mary cradling the lifeless Jesus Christ after He was taken down from the cross similar to Michelangelo’s “Pieta”—could no longer be preserved because it was damaged by the elements.
Labendia also corrected claims of critics that the sculpture was made of imported marble and was designed by local artist Alejandro Villarin.
“Let’s be clear: the image was just made from ordinary [concrete], not marble. It was only a replica of the original Michelangelo ‘Pieta’ in Italy,” he said.
‘Difficult decision’
The Diocese of Calbayog, which has jurisdiction over Catbalogan, has responded to the public outrage over the demolition of the “La Pieta” memorial which sat on a 1,300-square-meter park beside St. Bartholomew Church at the heart of Catbalogan.
Labendia said the area had long deteriorated but the Roman Catholic diocese lacked the resources for its proper upkeep.
The diocese, he said, had to make a “difficult decision” to enter into an agreement with private investors to develop and maintain the site which had become a “public urinal, a mini dump, and a favorite hub for peddlers and vendors.”
“So why the strong opposition to development? Don’t we want to improve that park? Were you all content seeing it as an unsightly space? Or maybe you’re not truly aware that it had become an eyesore for everyone entering the city,” said Labendia, adding that his position has the full support of Calbayog Bishop Isabelo Abarquez.
According to Labendia, it is time to improve and develop the park “befitting a city” like Catbalogan, the provincial capital of Samar.
However, he said, maintaining the park requires logistical support. “The diocese does not have those resources. Because there was nobody who could pledge to develop and maintain it, the bishop had to talk to investors who could deliver on that promise,” Labendia said.
Shakey’s Philippines, in an open letter on April 6, issued an apology, calling it an “unfortunate situation involving one of our franchises.”
“We recognize our franchise partner’s intention to relocate and enhance the landmark to a new site, and we are deeply disheartened by the accident that caused damage to ‘La Pieta,’” the statement said.
The memorial was developed in 1995 through the efforts of the Katbalogan-Metro Manila Residents Association, in partnership with the diocese and during the administration of then Mayor Jesus Redaja.
Catbalogan Councilor Stephany Uy, in a speech during a city council session on Monday, said the local government had repeatedly expressed its intent to improve the park even during her time as mayor from 2013 to 2019.
“The city government, during my term as mayor, had offered to improve and maintain the park. But for some reason, we were not allowed by the diocese,” she said.
Uy expressed frustration that the city government was being blamed for the “illegal demolition.”
“It’s just disheartening that the city government is being blamed for all this, considering that the demolition of the ‘Pieta’ statue was done without a permit,” said Uy, the sister of incumbent Mayor Dexter Uy.
