BALAGTAS, Bulacan—If there is anyone other than the moneyed culprits who may have earned huge money from selling to antique shops the numbers of bells they steal from many churches and chapels in the province, it is the source of the replacement, the bell makers.
Virgilio Nicolas, 61, owner of N.R. Metalcraft in Barangay Panginay this town said their sales suddenly increase following the series of bell stealing cases in the towns of Bocaue, Balagtas, Bulakan, Guiguinto, Plaridel, Obando and the cities of San Jose del Monte and Malolos.
His shop, he said have sold at least 5-7 bells at P20,000 to P22,000 each of their regular size bronze-made bells to different churches and chapels in Bulacan following the series of stealing incidents from August up to last month to “Nag-uuna unahan kami sa pagkalembang. Nang marinig ng mga tao ang kalembang, sigawan sila at tuwang tuwa naglapitan dito sa bisita at tinitingnan ang bagong kampana at sinasabi nila may kampana na kami, may kampana na kami at isa isa ng nagmadali maghanda para magsimba,” Lacsamana said.
Munsayac said they still need to raise P11,000 to complete the payment for the 20,000 bell they had ordered as replacement to their more than 100 years old bell still missing after it was robbed on Nov. 8.
“We had a meeting, we decided to acquire a new bell in time for the Simbang Gabi, so donations started coming in from devotees here until we have raised some P9,000. We used this money for the purchase of a new bell. However, we are still in need of the same amount to pay our remaining balance to the bell maker. We hope anybody who has a good heart and extra cash can help us have that amount so that we can fully pay our obligation,” Munsayac told Inquirer inside Culianin chapel on Friday night.
She said she wanted to complete the payment of the bell before the new year starts.
Lacsamana said a political rift between the newly elected and the previous barangay captain in their place last October barangay election triggered a loose in the guarding of the chapel and its bell by village watchmen in their place.
The village hall is just few steps distance to Culianin chapel.
According to Lacsamana, their chapel is always jump packed despite the Roman Catholic members have the least in number in their village compared to Aglipay Church members, Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), Born Again and Dating Daan followers.
Mang Joy Galvez, 59, chapel’s kampanero for five years after succeeding his father who had been the lifetime kampanero said his joy can not be completed because he still misses the bell his father had been ringing for years.
“Hindi kasing ganda noong dati ang tunog, Matinis yung dati at malayo talaga ang nararating ng tunog o kalembang, ito hindi malayo ang nararating. Hindi kami ganoong kasaya, hinahanap pa rin namin ang dati, pero dahil wala naman kaming magagawa, pwede na rin itong bagong palit,” he said.
According to Lacsamana, their stolen bell which was already in the chapel since 1898 and had been put up there since under the care of during the time of the grand mother of her husband who was the care taker of their chapel then is believed to have a mixture of gold that’s why that sounds better when being rang.
The bell is also being rang to signal to residents if Angat dam officials release water and it is time for them to evacuate.
Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan Police Director earlier included the town of Obando and the City of San Jose del Monte as other chapels whose bells were stolen.
Fernando totaled to 6 the number of bells stolen in the province based on reports that reached the respective offices of the police.
Fr. Rolando de Leon, parish priest of Marilao town however totaled to 12 the churches and chapels in Bulacan which bells have been stolen this year.
Villanueva blamed the parish parishioners and chapel and churches care takers of not reporting the lost bell to the police station or reporting them late. He said some of them made a late reporting to the police of the incidents of stolen bells.
Mons. Angel Santiago, parish priest of Barasoain Church said the series of bell robberies is very alarming.
He suspect a syndicated group that sells the bells in high prices to antique shops in Metro Manila and other places could be behind the stolen bell incidents.
Villanueva said they have checked on different junks shops, antique shops and even on the internet to find out if there were bells sold but they have yet to found and recover any of them.
According to Munsayac, the bells that were stolen mostly were snatched from chapels and churches in Bulacan which patron saint is Sto. Rosario.
She said one of those stolen in Guiguinto is a more than 200 year old bell.