“Imagine this church could talk.” What stories would Mawmawean Church tell? This is Mawmawean Church. It stands as a testament to faith and history in Cebu City.
Let’s journey back in time. The Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church acquired land here. The church stands on a three-hectare property. Back then this was a remote area. The area was far from the predominantly Roman Catholic old city.
Construction of what we now know as Mawmawean Church began in 1912. It finished on October 26 1913. Dwight H Day’s wife donated it. She named it after her mother Matilda L Bradford. Day was the treasurer of the Board of Foreign Missions.
Around the same time other structures went up. These included the Emerson Dormitory for girls. There was also the Sneed Dormitory for boys. Two residences also existed. Sadly American bombings during World War II destroyed them.
Mawmawean Church became a haven for Protestant adherents. Religious services included interpreters. They assisted those who spoke Cebuano and Chinese.
The church extended its compassion. It provided relief to people with leprosy. These people chose to stay in Cebu instead of moving to Palawan’s Culion Leper Colony.
In 1948 a new initiative began. The community established the Student Christian Center. Its goal was to provide basic education. It also forwarded English language teaching. Later the school was renamed Cebu Christian School. Today it is known as the Philippine Christian Gospel School.
In the 1980s a demolition plan arose. However some council members opposed it. The church was saved. In 2013 a fundraising campaign took place. It was for church renovation purposes. This was in time for its centennial anniversary.
In 1983 the Cebu City Council made a declaration. It declared Mawmawean Church a historical landmark. A year later the National Historical Commission followed suit. It recognized the church as a national historical landmark. It became the only Protestant church in Cebu with this honor. In 2013 a historical marker was unveiled. This was on the occasion of the church’s centennial celebration.
Managed by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines Mawmawean Church stands in a cruciform shape. It is located along Osmeña Boulevard. You will find it beside the Visayas Community Medical Center. Behind it a new bigger church was built.
As you stand here feel the history. Mawmawean Church is more than bricks and mortar. It is a symbol of faith resilience and community spirit. It echoes stories of hope education and unwavering dedication.