Suntrust says Santa Ana Church paintings ‘not in serious danger’ due to condo

MANILA, Philippines – Suntrust Properties refuted critics of its condominium project in Santa Ana, Manila, and said the centuries-old paintings in Santa Ana Church “are not in serious danger” due to the company’s construction activities.

“By the nature of the vibration and the distance of the project site from Santa Ana Church, it is unlikely that Suntrust’s construction will endanger the Santa Ana paintings,” Suntrust said in a statement provided to Rappler.

“As mentioned in Rappler’s article, Suntrust Ascentia is 170 meters away from the Santa Ana Church, where the national cultural treasures are located. Based on Suntrust’s study last September 16, 2023, vibrations were felt within 60 meters only,” said the statement provided by Suntrust’s legal counsel, Leah Martizano.

The Manila City Council is set to hold a hearing on Thursday, September 28, to discuss the sociocultural and environmental impact of the Suntrust Ascentia project.

The parish priest, parishioners, and heritage advocates earlier said that the heavy pounding and drilling in the condominium project threatened to damage the Santa Ana Church paintings.

“These [paintings on the ceiling] are seriously in danger of irreparable damage due to the heavy pounding and pile driving of a major developer that is illegally constructing three high-rises of 36 stories each within the buffer zone of the declared heritage zone of Santa Ana, Manila,” said National Shrine of Our Lady of the Abandoned parish priest and rector Father Virgilio del Mundo Jr.

The developer argued, however, that the painting’s chipping off is caused by aging, a problem which they claim to have been present as early as October 2021.

In an observation conducted by Suntrust on September 16, Suntrust found that vibrations were only felt within 60 meters of the site.

On the same day, Suntrust assistant vice president Manolito Elmann went to the church’s camarin (a “dressing room” of the image of Mary) to see how the insertion of the cylinder affected the area. He said he didn’t feel any vibrations from 8:35 to 9:15 am, according to the Suntrust statement.

“As the camarin was about to close and the insertion of the cylinder continued, he went