(As printed in The Bohol Chronicle, May 10, 2009)

The town of Dauis takes national center stage this weekend when the National Historical Institute installs a historical marker at the already- famous church and declares the entire Dauis Church Complex a National Historical Landmark.

The Dauis church complex comprises the beautiful pilgrimage church built by the Recollect Fray Julio Saldaña in 1863 and inaugurated by Cebu bishop Juan Gorordo in 1923; the Dauis Rectory started by Jesuit Fr. Joseph Nepomuceni in 1755 and subsequently enlarged by the Augustinian Recollects; the unique 1776 Recollect- built watchtower of stone and the two large open spaces beside and behind the church which give the church of Dauis an ambience different from all other heritage churches in the country.

Chairman Ambeth Ocampo, head of the NH1, earlier sent a letter to town officials instructing them to coordinate with church authorities as regards the installation which is expected to bring in top ranking officials of the Institute, as well as dignitaries of the Catholic Church.

The installation of the church marker and the decision to declare the Dauis Church Complex a National Historical Landmark came about as a result of a visit made by the NHI top bases to the church about a couple of months ago for their regular out-of-town meeting. Together with local church officials composing the Dauis Renaissance Committee, the NHI Board declared this venture should be made a model of similar development efforts in other heritage areas of the country.

This after the NHI was appraised of the sustainable heritage development program being done in the church under the auspices of Madame Beatriz Zobel de Ayala. To Highlight the sustainable heritage development project of Dauis, the NHI organized a national seminar workshop on history and heritage to be held in Dauis this coming May 14 and 15, an activity that would lead to the May 16 installation of the historical marker and the declaration of the town church a National Historical Landmark.