Umapela si Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua sa gobyerno at pribadong sektor na pagtulungang mapreserba ang San Sebastian Church.
Sa kanyang privilege speech, ibinahagi ni Chua na unti-unti nang gumuguho ang istruktura ng Basilika Menor ng San Sebastian na naitayo noong 1891.
Aminado si Chua na kakailanganin ng malaking halaga para sa rehabilitasyon at pagsasaayos ng simbahan.
Kaya mungkahi nito na i-tap ang foreign assistance at pribadong sektor para tumulong.
“Let the rehabilitation of San Sebastian Church be private sector-led, supported by foreign assistance, but with the concerned government agencies behind them or with the provision of technical expertise, technical assistance, and grant funding. This way, the rehabilitation program will not be a massive drain on public funds and will not divert any funds for high-priority purposes, especially those for the poor and the middle class,” ani Chua.
Umaasa ang kinatawan na kagyat itong matugunan at hindi na hintayin pang tuluyang masira ang naturang simbahan na isa aniya sa maituturing na yaman ng Pilipinas.
“Ang Basilika Menor ng San Sebastian ay yaman ng sambayanang Pilipino kaya’t kailangan natin itong isalba mula sa tiyak na pagkawasak. With urgency, I now ask for the concerned agencies of the national government to band together to rehabilitate the San Sebastian Church,” saad ng mambabatas. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
