Bantayan church after the 2025 earthquake – what visitors should know.

What happened

On the night of 30 September 2025, at 9:59 pm, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck offshore northeast of Bogo City in northern Cebu (PHIVOLCS). The upper part of the façade of the parish church of St. Peter the Apostle – locals call it Sts. Peter and Paul – broke off, including the pediment and the cross on top. Videos of the falling stone went around the country. We found no reports of people hurt at the church.

The coral-stone church was built from 1839 to 1863. The parish dates from 1580 and is one of the oldest in the Visayas. A National Historical Institute marker stands there since 1980.

Checks and repair

In October 2025 experts from the NHCP, NCCA, ICOMOS, the University of San Carlos and the Archdiocese of Cebu did a first check. The building was declared unsafe inside, and Mass was held on the church grounds. The parish opened a separate bank account for repairs and asked people not to take stones as souvenirs – the pieces are kept for the restoration. In December 2025 the provincial board asked the governor for ₱2 million per damaged church; we have not seen a confirmation that the money was released. The As of December 2025, the NHCP said it gives technical advice but has no repair budget.

For your visit

We could not confirm the current state of the church for November 2026. Expect barriers and possibly closed doors, and the famous painted ceiling may not be visible. Respect the tape, don’t climb on rubble, and ask at the parish office where and when Mass is held. Donate only through the parish office or its official account.

Did you know?

• Founded in 1580: Augustinian friars founded the parish on 11 June 1580 – older than the Diocese of Cebu (1595).
• Built over 24 years: the present church of coral stone was built between 1839 and 1863.
• Holy Week: the church is the centre of Bantayan’s famous Holy Week, with large processions of life-size floats owned by old island families.