Templete de Pedro
By Ador Vincent S. Mayol
A pyramid-like structure of bamboo towers above an empty canvass of land.
At its apex is a cross, five meters tall, the biggest outdoor cross in Cebu.
The templete or small temple is the centerpiece for the national thanksgiving celebration of St. Pedro Calungsod on Friday, Nov. 30.
When Fr. Brian Brigoli designed the concrete and bamboo structure, he wanted to inspire people by reflecting their deepest longing "for the divine" with a strong vertical movement.
"It is our desire to reach heaven and God. It speaks of the longing of the human soul," he said.
Over a thousand bamboo poles were used to encase metal bars that support the pyramid that houses the altar to be used for the Mass.
Carabao grass provides a cool green carpet around the raised platform.
It took almost four months to construct the templete which has the mountains of Cebu as its background.
Bamboo poles also stand in crisscross fashion in the rear wall.
"Bamboo is a part of Filipino culture", said Brigoli of the sturdy poles that figure in the humblest cottage to scaffolds of construction sites and sleek export furniture. "It's indispensable in daily life and almost all our industries."
From afar, the giant cross atop the templete can be seen across the 27-hectare field where 500,000 to one million people are expected to gather to give thanks for the canonization of Pedro Calungsod, the Philippine's second saint.
Brigoli, parochial vicar of the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, is head curator of the Cebu Cathedral Museum, and, co-chairman of the committee on venue for the Nov. 30 Calungsod thanksgiving.
He started sketching ideas for the temple in March 2012. These were faithfully rendered, enriched and brought to life with the help of architects Ramon Vios and Melva Java, among others.
Brigoli said he was concerned about the iconography or meaning of the different elements that came together.
CROSS AND PALMS
"The templete culminates with the cross. The cross speaks of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ as the very meaning of all the sacrifices offered by martyrs," he explained.
The palm leaves below it are the church symbol of martyrdom.
A weaved palm is a distinctive element that also appears in the furniture from the wooden altar table, to the presider's chair, ambo and the cross assemble.
Red and green LED lights on the cross and the palm leaves automatically switch on every 5 p.m. and turn off at dawn.
The glow of warm white LED lights will also illuminate the altar and white cloth that drapes part of the pyramd during the Mass.
The sanctuary at the center holds a simple wooden altar table as the most holy place from where Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal will preside over the Mass.
Both wings of the templete can accommodate 150 bishop concelebrants in each side. A presider's chair is positioned directly at its back and the lectern in front.
The templete had to be reduced from its original size of 1,500 square meters to 700 square meters due to financial constraints.
The focal piece is the pyramid-like structure or the spire at the center, a bold symbol of transcendence.
"Martyrdom is all about transcendence," said Brigoli.
"One can truly deny the self if one, at the same time, transcends the self."
The Archdiocese of Cebu is hoping the outdoor temple will be preserved as a landmark after Nov. 30.
"This templete will serve as a monument that pays homage to the historical event that took place here," said Brigoli.
Under a scorching sun and sometimes, a downpour, around 50 laborers built the templete.
"Dili lalim ang magpainit unya wala kay kapasilungan. (It is not easy to work under the heat of the sun without any shade at all). Without these workers, the templete would not be possible," said Fr. Raul Gallego, chairman of the committee on venue.
Some of the skilled laborers could have earned more in other projects, but chose to be part of erecting a monument in honor of a saint.
"Dili mi magpapresyo. (We are not working for the price)," said 39-year-old foreman Raul Capacite about his team members who earn P200 to P280 a day.
"Kining among pagtrabaho dinhi dala na halad ngadto kang Pedro Calungsod. Ato yud na nga idol. (The work we do here carries with it our offering to Pedro Calungsod. He's our idol.)
Capacite's team who's assigned to put up the bamboo elements live on the work site in the SRP but buy their own food.
Fr. Gallego lauded the laborers for their grit and dedication to finish the temple by Nov. 30.
"These workers are one with us in preparing for the national thanksgiving Mass. We're very happy for the devotion they have for Saint Pedro Calungsod," said the priest.
Work starts at 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with overtime until 10 p.m. as the deadline neared.
The metal bars of the pyramid rising above the main altar were individually clad in sections of bamboo, which was harvested from a private lot in Talamban, Cebu City.
Workers first have to scrape off the outer layer otherwise the poles would eventually crack, Capacite explained. Then men had to climb the spire to carefully wrap each bar in bamboo. A varnish of brown paint was applied to enhance its natural color.