What's brewing at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral?

If you are regular mass-goer at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, you must have noticed the ongoing "project" being done on the structure. I understand this is the "landscaping" project that they announced during the last fiesta mass, and that funds are needed 'coz the project amount is in the 7-figure range.

I have no comments about the project, as of yet, 'coz I still do not have the details as to how it will end up. One thing though, on one of the (outdoor) buttresses (I hope I am using the right term), the workers have chipped off a good portion of the bricks, the restoration of which is supposed to be the aim of this project.

Yes, exposing the bricks and the lime stones would be nice. I dunnow about you, but as of the moment I have no comments, again 'coz I don't have any details yet about the project.

In the meantime, I would like to share what I got from Balangkas, the NCCA Resource Book on the Care of Built Heritage in the Philippines:

1. (On the conservation of structures) page 17, entry number 12 on what is “antiquing” and why is it wrong: removing the plaster to expose the stone – actually hastens the deterioration of the stone.
2. (On specific concerns for Catholic churches) page 20: The Church of Las Piñas was stripped of its plaster. The stone wall is now eroding.

The two outer buttresses with the bricks exposed (23 September 2009)

My pix of the same area, taken on January 31, 2008

note the good portion of bricks chipped off (rightmost). Careless workers? No, excited perhaps.