Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada wants to declare the 65-year-old Baclaran Church in Parañaque City which is visited by thousands of devotees notably on Wednesdays as heritage site and tourist attraction.
Estrada said the Baclaran Church, also called the Redemptorist Church, was also known as the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help and one of the most popular churches in the Philippines.
“It is considered one of the largest Marian churches in the country, attracting a multitude of devotees as well as tourists,” Estrada said.
“Wednesdays are acknowledged as ‘Baclaran Day’ by many Filipino Catholic families and visited by thousands of pilgrims, as much as 150,000 devotees from all walks of life, every week,” said Estrada, himself a known Baclaran Church devotee.
The senator has filed Senate Bill No. 2278 to have the Church and its surroundings declared a heritage site and tourist destination.
With the declaration, Estrada said there will be an institutionalized policy that will preserve its historical and sociocultural importance, ensuring the accessibility, convenience, and security of its numerous visitors through the construction, installation, and maintenance of appropriate facilities and infrastructure in the area.
Under the measure, the Department of Tourism (DOT), in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the local government of Parañaque, and other relevant agencies, will develop a tourism development plan for the site.
This plan will include the construction, installation, and maintenance of suitable facilities and infrastructure to enhance the overall features of the surroundings of Baclaran Church, while also ensuring accessibility and the security of tourists.