“it is the only 19th century Bamboo Organ in the Philippines that has survived and is still

functioning.”

• The Church, made of adobe (volcanic) stones, was constructed between 1797 and 1819. It was built in the so-called "earthquake" baroque architectural style. With the help of the Las Piñas community and the neighboring area, the Church and the grounds were returned to its original state. The renovation was effectively carried out through the expertise of Architects Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa and Ludwig Alvarez between 1971 and 1975

Padre Diego Cera Dela Virgen Del Carmel is an Augustinian Recollect from Spain, he was the first parish priest in Las Pinas during the Spanish era.

He created the Bamboo Organ in 1816 and was finish after 8 years in the year 1824.

The National Museum of the Philippines officially declared the Las Piñas Bamboo Organ a National Cultural Treasure on March 11, 2004 for its uniqueness and significance.

• During the 1880s, there was a typhoon and earthquake that damaged the roof of the church, which left the bamboo organ open to nature’s elements. The rainwater and stones got inside the organ case, which destroyed the instrument and made it unplayable for years. After that, the pipes were stored in the old sacristy and were forgotten about until around 1917 when a tourist rediscovered its beauty.

• It was only in 1972 when the bamboo organ restoration project began. Johannes Klais Orgelbau was the one who was awarded the contract, and he had the organ shipped all the way to Bonn, Germany in 1973. After about a couple of years, the bamboo organ returned to its homeland in 1975.

This unique musical instrument is composed of 1,031 pipes, and 902 of which are made out of bamboo while the rest are metal.

He is the recent parish priest in The Bamboo Organ Church.

LIST OF ACTIVITIES FOR THIS MONTH• JULY– July 4 : Lingap Meeting– July 6-7 : PREX Batch 29– July 20-21 : MKK Exchange– July 21 : On the spot painting contest– July 27 : Konsierto Parangal para Kay Fr. Diego Cera- July 29 : MMK Day

I live in Bacoor, Cavite but I attend mass at Bamboo Organ because IStudied in St. Joseph’s Academy, the school beside the church. That’s Why I am used to go that church, even when I was a kid, we attend mass there. The Bamboo Organ church is really amazing, a must do for this site is to hear the bamboo organ be played. During the Bamboo Organ festival they will let foreign and local pianists play it, if you hear it play you will receive shivers because the music that comes out from it is very moving and astonishing also. Just knowing that it is a very historical site.

Submitted By: Beatrix Anne E. Asinas217 A BFA-VAD