Baclaran Church is now one of the most valuable cultural treasures in the country after the National Museum of the Philippines (NMP) designated the church as an “important cultural property” or ICP.

The marker designating the church as an ICP was unveiled on Tuesday in Parañaque City.

According to NMP archeologist Dr. Mary Jane Louise Bolunia, the agency is pleased to bestow honor on the church edifice “that has become part of our culture as it evolved and developed through the years.”

“I hope the marker will serve as a reminder for us to cherish this gift of faith that we have embraced and the place where the faith has taken its root,” she said in an article posted Wednesday on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) news website.

The ceremony was held in celebration of the feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, and the 75th year of the Perpetual Help Novena in Baclaran Church.

Meanwhile, Brazilian Fr. Rogerio Gomes, superior general of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or the Redemptorists, said designating the Baclaran Church as an ICP is not only because of its importance as a physical heritage “but also as a spiritual one.”

“I can say that is also declaring the Filipino people as a patrimony of faith,” he said.

ICPs, which are defined as cultural properties possessing “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance,” may receive government subsidies for their preservation and conservation.

It is also the second level of protection after the classification of National Cultural Treasures.

Also present during the ceremony were Baclaran Church rector Fr. Rico John Bilangel, and Fr. Raymond Urriza, superior of the Redemptorist Vice-Province of Manila. (PNA)