Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has backed calls for the National Museum of the Philippines to return the Boljoon pulpit panels to the town’s Archdiocesan Shrine of Patrocinio de Maria Santissima, saying the panels bear profound significance in Cebuano’s history.

“I, as Secretary of the Department of Tourism, an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees of the National Museum of the Philippines, respectfully manifest my support for the requests of the Archdiocese of Cebu, the Provincial Government of Cebu, and the Municipal Government of Boljoon, for the return of the religious panels to the Boljoon Church,” Frasco said in her letter to NMP Board of Trustees chairperson Andoni Aboitiz.

“These panels bear profound significance in Cebuano’s history, serving as a tangible reflection of the rich cultural heritage and religious traditions of the people of Cebu. Moreover, the Boljoon Church is of outstanding cultural value to the Philippines as a National Cultural Treasure, National Historical Landmark, and is on the Philippines’ Tentative List as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension),” the letter further read.

Frasco emphasized the significance of cultural heritage in the approved National Tourism Development Plan 2023-2028 which underscores the DoT’s mission to build a tourism industry rooted in Filipino culture.