CITY OF MALOLOS—The picturesque of Barasoain Church here, a shining emblem and pride of the Bulakenyo race has finally been back in our Philippine peso denomination after church and government officials and residents joined together and lobbied for its return.
The church picturesque is at the lower center and right side of former President Diosdado Macapagal, the late father of former President Gloria Arroyo in the new P200 peso bill that will be released this month by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Monsignor Angel Santiago, parish priest of Barasoain Church who initiated in 2007 the clamor and efforts to bring back the picturesque of Barasoain Church in our currency denomination to keep a continuous recall of the significance of the religious site in our history and culture expressed so much joy that his hardships bear good fruits.
He told NEWS CORE Sunday, he is so happy because all the efforts he did with the big help from the people and other Bulacan officials has finally gave back to Barasoain Church the honor and prestige it all deserves.
Santiago said the history that was made at the Barasoain Church more than 100 years ago where nationalist residents gathered and formed the Malolos Congress that gave birth to the Malolos Constitution and the First Philippine Republic is the same church and estate unity principle all for the good of the populace which they all similarly participated today was what brought back the church image
He said the Barasoain Church and its picturesque return to our country current denomination continue to become an epitome of the good working relationship between the church and the estate.
“Once again, a good relationship between the church and estate yield good results for the people.”
Santiago said after the signatures were gathered, Rep. Marivic Sy-Alvarado of the first district of Bulacan brought this in Congress, in Malacanang and at the BSP and made a strong lobby.
“Ang simbahan ay talagang kabahagi sa pulitikal na aspeto ng lipunan, isang patunay dito ang naging papel ng Barasoain Church. Hindi naman talaga dapat magkasalungat ang mga paniniwala at prinsipyo ng simbahan at ng pamahalaan. Church and estate is like a bicycle with two wheels, the first one in front is the government and the second one at the back is the church, both working together for the people which they lead and govern,” the priest said.
In July 2007, the priest launched a signature campaign where more than 10,000 residents from Bulacan including tourists who enter the church affixed their signatures.
For the past several years, the previous P10.00 paper currency which largely bears at its back portion the picturesque of the said church has been phased out totally and was replaced by a P10.00 coin.
Based on his research, Santiago said the P10.00 bill where the Barasoain Church was placed made its first print out and release by the BSP in 1968,
The priest who had just been assigned in Barasoain when he made such initiative in 2007 has just arrived in the country for such assignment given by the Malolos Diocese after long years of assignment in a church in New Jersey, USA.
He said he took as on of his priorities the said signature campaign to win their cause of having the
picture of the Barasoain Church re-printed again in the Philippine peso bill.
“The people are starting to lose a sense of nationalism and history, a nation’s currency system
ought to help bring them back, but with the phasing out of the Barasoain Church in our P10.00 bill, the
Central Bank of the Philippines, further caused that sense of nationalism and history among Filipinos to
deteriorate.”
“Sayang naman, hindi na makikita ng mga tao lalo na ng mga kabataan ang mga kaganapang iyan sa araw araw nilang buhay kapag tuluyan nang di ibabalik sa ating pera ang larawan ng Barasoain Church, dapat lang nating pagtulung-tulungan na maibalik ito, ito ang isa sa pinakamayamang kasaysayan ng Pilipinas,” he said.
Mayor Christian Natividad, of this city told NEWS CORE that the first thing they will do on Monday morning is to the go to BSP to thank its officials and ask if possible for a sample of the new P200 bill for official recognition and highlight here in Malolos City.
Natividad, 33, who is a lawyer and the youngest Mayor of Bulacan filed a bill at the provincial board during his term in 2007 as board member that asked the BSP to re-include the picturesque of the Barasoain Church in any Philippine paper currency denomination.
A Bulacan provincial government resolution out of what he filed was also brought before the BSP.