Dumaguete: The National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) has allocated an additional PHP6 million for the Phase 2 restoration and site development of the iconic centuries-old Dumaguete watchtower-belfry. In an interview, Msgr. Julius Perpetuo S. Heruela, head of the Committee on Church Cultural Heritage of the Diocese of Dumaguete, expressed gratitude to the National Museum for its tedious task of restoring the bell tower to its closest original state.

According to Philippines News Agency, the diocese, led by Bishop Julito Cortes, is thankful to Director Jeremy Barnes of the National Museum for their painstaking and thorough research in digging up additional photos, information, and other materials needed for an accurate restoration of the bell tower. The bell tower is not just a Spanish era attraction, but is symbolic of the people's faith, heritage, and history, as it has withstood centuries of challenges, natural or man-made.

A Phase 2 pre-construction meeting was held Thursday afternoon in Dumaguete by the NMP, the heritage committee, and representatives from the city government and the provincial tourism office, for updates on the bell tower restoration project. Architect Benjamin Empleo Concepcion, NMP's project-in-charge, in a virtual briefing, stated that the restoration project is already 91.4 percent complete.

The restoration was stalled in the past months after the contractor and NMP experts found 'new' information that impacted the original plan, triggering further research on the tower, Concepcion explained. Phase 2 of the project covers 180 calendar days and will include more restoration works and site development.

The bell tower project started last year with an initial funding of PHP9 million. Built in the 1800s, the Dumaguete bell tower was declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum before the pandemic.