20/05/2026
Heritage is more than old buildings— it is the stories, memories, and lives preserved beneath them.
Following the devastating 2024 fire at the centuries-old St. Ferdinand Parish Church in Ilagan, Isabela, archaeologists from the UP School of Archaeology conducted an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) before reconstruction could continue. What began as an accidental discovery of human remains became an opportunity to uncover over 300 years of history.
Through systematic excavations across the church grounds, the team documented thousands of archaeological materials, including human skeletal remains, ceramics, beads, metals, bricks, and lime mortar. These discoveries revealed layers of the church’s long history— from its original 1696 foundations to later renovations, highlighting its role as both a place of worship and a sacred burial ground.
Archaeology plays a vital role in protecting cultural heritage during modern development.
At St. Ferdinand Parish Church, careful archaeological management ensured that reconstruction could proceed while preserving valuable historical information and treating human remains with dignity and respect. This investigation is also historically significant as the first comprehensive archaeological study conducted in Isabela Province since the 1970s.
This Heritage Month, we are reminded that safeguarding heritage is not only about preserving structures—it is also about protecting the histories buried beneath them for future generations.
