Above: A bas-relief depicting the martyrdom of St. Vitalis, the patron saint of the cathedral, flanked on both sides by his sons, the twin martyr saints Protacio and Gervacio. Above is his wife St. Valeria, another martyr.

When the then Diocese of Cebu was about to be elevated into an archdiocese in 1936, then Bishop Gabriel Reyes (who would later become the first archbishop of Cebu) ordered the rehabilitation of the cathedral. The façade was improved while the interiors were renovated. The 19th century main altar retablo was torn down and replaced with a very simple marble altar with three stained glass windows above it.

The newly renovated cathedral however would not last long as the ravages of World War II would take its toll during the air raids conducted by the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) in which the cathedral, along with other historic structures in the city, would be a casualty. The bombings destroyed the cathedral with only its walls, façade, and belfry remaining but was quickly rebuilt after the war.

Above: The secondary patron of the cathedral, the Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion, flanked on both sides by Sts. Anthony of Padua and Vincent Ferrer. Above is St. Joseph.

Fast forward seventy-five years after, the cathedral once again undergoes another major facelift in preparation for the upcoming diamond anniversary of the archdiocese. The last few months saw the cathedral plaza being remodeled and landscaped, the exteriors of the church being cleaned and its interiors being improved and embellished. A twelve-bell carillon, a musical instrument made of cast bells which are played one after the other to play a melody or sounded together to play a chord, will also be installed at the belfry hopefully before the anniversary celebrations.

One of the most notable of these improvements are the new altar retablos inside the cathedral which were designed and manufactured by a Filipino-owned company based in Laguna. A retablo or reredo is defined as a screen or decoration behind an altar that is decorated with various motifs and carvings and usually has niches that contain religious iconography. The new retablos at the cathedral evoke attention and remind the faithful that they are now inside a church.

Above: The main altar retablo containing a large crucifix at the center and flanked on both sides by Filipino martyrs St. Lorenzo Ruiz of Manila and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

The retablos aim to bring back some of Cebu’s old devotions. The retablo at the right side of the cathedral contains the images of the Immaculate Concepcion, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Joseph, and St. Vincent Ferrer while the left side retablo contains the images of St. Vitales, the cathedral’s patron saint, St. Valeria, and the twins St. Gervasio and Protacio. The main altar retablo on the other hand contains a large crucifix at the center flanked on both sides by the images of St. Lorenzo Ruiz and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.

Meeting the maker

One may not expect that a mechanical engineer who graduated cum laude and placed 4th at the board exams would try his luck into a business designing and making altar retablos and stained glass windows for churches and even venturing into bell and carillon making. But 45-year old Robert Cruz of San Pedro, Laguna proved that one can benefit from following one’s childhood dreams and fascinations.

When Robert was still a child, he remembered playing “priest,” fashioning altars and retablos out of Lego blocks and chalices out of aluminum foil. In high school, designing and making scale models of churches was his pasttime. His real inclination was in the arts, architecture, and priesthood but family tradition made him an engineer.

His first business came about when he volunteered to work on the stained glass windows of his parish church for free. It was supposed to be an experimental project which turned out well and resulted to a lot of inquiries from people who saw the finished product. Vitreártus Glass Art Co. was then born with the primary goal of providing churches with affordable but well-crafted stained glass. His bell and carillon business, Carillon Technology Philippines, started in 2004 when he met Roster Wu of Singapore and started to collaborate with each other.

Sometimes, offering one’s skill and talent to help another would yield to unexpected results. His church furniture business started when he designed and executed the retablo, altar and ambo of their parish as a gift from their family to commemorate the Jubilee Year of 2000. Over the next few years, he would be making retablos upon request just to release his frustrations of becoming an architect. But when a friend who was prominent in the church furniture business died in 2008 without anyone in his family knowledgeable and interested over it, Msgr. Romulo Vergara of the Our Lady of Peñafrancia Basilica encouraged him to re-organize the group so that the craftsmens’ skills would not go to waste. As a result, Vitreártus–Liturgical Arts Division was created.

Working for the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

The new main altar retablos and the twelve-bell carillon are not Robert Cruz’s first project with the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral. He actually worked on the stained glass windows at the transepts of the cathedral ten years ago. Just a few months ago, he was again referred by a nun and friend of Msgr. Roberto Alesna, the parish priest of the cathedral who informed him that they were considering installing a Carillon.

When his partner in the bell and carillon business Roster Wu came to Cebu to conduct an ocular inspection, it also happened that Willie Layug, a sculptor and artist from Betis, Pampanga who also makes church altar retablos, was discussing with a priest at the cathedral regarding plans for a new retablo. Wu informed Cruz who in turn promptly called the priest to inquire if he too can submit an alternative proposal but was politely informed that there was no longer any need to since they were already negotiating with Layug. A month later though, Cruz received a call from the priest who offered him the project on certain conditions.

Assembling God’s altar

Mainly of Philippine Mahogany with a framework of steel inside, the components of the retablos were fabricated and pre-assembled at the company’s workshop in San Pedro, Laguna. The wood carvings were applied with gold leaf making it shine like precious metal. Its simulated marble finish blends well with the interior color scheme of the cathedral. Looking closer, one would notice that the details of the retablos also echo some elements from the existing design features of the cathedral.

The retablos stand majestically inviting people to come inside the church. It attracts not just lovers of art and architecture but also ordinary people alike who would just simply sit and stare at it and/or take photos of it. Cruz considers the style to be between Late Renaissance and Early Baroque, the period when the rules of classical design were slowly being bent and the style was becoming more decorated and ornamental. Furthermore he adds that the renaissance character is seen in the vertical symmetry, simplicity of lines, and playful use of the Corinthian order, while the opulent use of gilded carvings, the scrolls/volutes, and the faux marble finishing is characteristically Baroque.

It took a total of four months for the retablos to be built and assembled. It was a herculean task for Cruz and his staff however as the many masses at the cathedral proved to be a hindrance to them that they have to work straight only during the night. In order to speed up work just in time for its dedication and blessing, they had to assign part of their workforce to do partial installation thus leaving the shop understaffed.

Nonetheless, the results are astounding. Robert Cruz and his craftsmen, with their skill, talent, and expertise, have exceeded the expectations of the Cebuanos. Parishioners of the cathedral now have more reasons to be proud of their church. The retablos together with the other embellishments in the cathedral will surely bring more prestige to it being the seat of the archbishop of the archdiocese.