Boljoon Heritage Foundation, Inc.

Boljoon Parish Rectory
Patrocinio de Maria Street
Poblacion, Boljoon
6024 Philippines

The Boljoon Heritage Foundation, Inc. (BHFI), is a non-stock, non-profit organization duly incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines by the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission on April 28, 2000 with SEC Registration No. C200000425.

The purposes for which BHFI are incorporated are as follows:

1. To restore all buildings, structures and edifices with historical and cultural values and things of antiquity located in the municipality of Boljoon

2. To preserve all artifacts, relics, church records in archives, books and missals, convent and other church properties with historical and cultural values and other antique things;

3. To safekeep and protect documents on file, artifacts deposited in museum or displayed in the Roman Catholic Church of Boljoon, buildings, bells, watchtowers and other items with historical and cultural values and other antiquaries;

4. To recover artifacts, relics, paintings and other items with historical, cultural and antique values which were stolen, lost, misplaced or borrowed from the Roman Catholic Church of Boljoon; and

5. To implement programs and projects and activities for the promotion and preservation of the Boljo-anon heritage.

The members of BHFI come from a cross section of the community who are ardent advocates of heritage preservation. BHFI is governed by a 15-member Board of Trustees and its operations are handled by executive officers headed by a President.

At present, the Trustees and Officers of BHFI are as follows:

EDMUND N. VILLANUEVA President
ACER E. MEDIDA Vice President
BIENVENIDA O. GONESTO Secretary
QUERUBIN M. NIERE Treasurer
JOSE R. SITOY Auditor
FR. SOFRONIO G. DE LA PENA Trustee
FRANCISCO E. MEDIDA Trustee
LOCK S. SESTOSO Trustee
MSGR. CONSTANTINO R. BATOCTOY Trustee
HERIBERTO S. QUINTANA Trustee
HERIBERTO T. VILLARTA Trustee
SANTIAGO CAIRO Trustee
ARSENIO YNCIERTO Trustee
VEDASITO L. NIERE Trustee
CONCHITA R. ROMAGUERA Trustee

Projects undertaken
BHFI is instrumental in having the Boljoon Church declared by the National Historical Institute as a NATIONAL HISTORICAL LANDMARK and by the National Museum as a NATIONAL CULTURAL TREASURE, the highest distinction that can be conferred by the Philippine Government on a cultural property in the country. These twin declarations paved the way for the Philippine government to allocate public funds for the preservation and restoration of the Boljoon Church.

Through the efforts of BHFI, the local government of Boljoon, the Boljoon Parish Pastoral Council and countless individuals, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) financed the conduct of Feasibility Study for the restoration of the Boljoon Church and the commissioning of a Detailed Engineering Study (DES) for the proposed restoration. With the recently concluded DES, the NCCA allocated P3M for the initial restoration of the Church with counterpart funding from the Provincial Government of Cebu. The estimated cost of the full restoration runs from P13M to P19M. It is hoped that within the last quarter of 2005 or early 2006, the initial restoration of the Church's roof will be undertaken.

Parallel with the above projects, BHFI is undertaking efforts for the preservation of the last remaining antique items of the Boljoon Church in cooperation with the Boljoon Parish Pastoral Council. Cataloguing of all antiquaries found in the Church had been undertaken. This year, BHFI has commissioned an engineering and architectural study for the establishment of a museum complex to house the remaining antiquaries of the Church, which will be located in the under-utilized ground floor of the Church's rectory or convento, the old Escuela Catolica and the old blockhouse or campanario .

It is hoped that with the support of the Boljo-anons, BHFI will be able to carry-on its mandate of preserving the rich cultural, historical and religious heritage of BOLJOON.