PLARIDEL, Bulacan—Roman Catholic Church parishioners in a chapel here where the bell was stolen last month have their own Christmas wish, this time no longer the recovery of their century old bell or its replacement, but funds to complete the payment of their new found bell.
The first day of the start of the nine days Simbang Gabi in Barangay Culianin here began on the night of December 15 without their bell ringing to signal the church goers it is the first night of the annual nine days mass in time for Christmas Day.
But, during the second day of the mass, says Aurora Lacsamana, assistant care taker at the chapel when the newly bought replacement bell arrived, every one of them was excited to do the pulling of the string to ring their bell to call for all the Roman Catholic church devotees in their barrio to attend the Simbang Gabi.
“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.
But Gloria Munsayac, 61, caretaker of the chapel for more than 30 years now 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 NEWS CORE 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.
Maxi Nicolas from N.R. Metalcraft in Balagtas town where the new bell was made and bought told Inquirer in text messages reply that all the bells they do are made of bronze.
He said it is not only Culianin chapel which they had made a new bell but several other chapels in many towns in Bulacan which chapel bells have been similarly stolen months ago this year. He said there were a total of 7 bells stolen in the province since August.
Nicolas said based from what he heard, seven chapels were recently been stolen of bells and several other more chapels were already victimized of their bells early during this year.
He said the even the towns of Bulakan and Balagtas Malolos City were early been victimized and his firm made the new bells as replacement.
According to Nicolas, the pattern of the robbery of the bells is along the adjacent towns of Bocaue, Balagtas, Bulakan, Guiguinto, Plaridel and Malolos City.
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 town is a more than 200 year old bell.