Protestant church to unveil historical marker

By Maurice Malanes

BAGUIO CITY – A mainline Protestant church here, which just celebrated its 100 years of Protestantism last year, is set to unveil an official historical marker next week.

“The United Church of Christ in the Philippines-Baguio (UCCP-Baguio) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NCHP) request the honor of your presence at the formal unveiling of the official historical marker that commemorates UCCP-Baguio as a place of national historic interest,” said an invitation of the UCCP-Baguio extended to the city’s officialdom and to other church leaders.

The historical marker is set to be unveiled at the UCCP-Baguio’s main sanctuary and grounds at 10 a.m. on February 11, which also marks UCCP-Baguio 101st anniversary.

An official of the NCHP is expected to help UCCP-Baguio church leaders unveil the official marker.

The UCCP-Baguio traces its roots to the missionary works of Rev. Howard Widdoes, an American missionary who came together with his wife in the early 1900s, and started a Bible study, which later grew to become the foundation of what was then called the United Brethren Church.

In 1930, this church, also known as the Protestant Cathedral, came to be known as United Evangelical Church.

During World War II, this church’s basement became the refuge of those who sought protection from carpet-bombing, first by the Japanese and later by the Americans.

In 1948 the United Evangelical Church formed part of what was reconstituted to become the UCCP.

Recognizing its role not only in terms of evangelization but also in education, the UCCP-Baguio was recognized by the Baguio Centennial Commission as one the city’s “builders” in 2009 during the city’s centennial.