Romblon Diocese Bishop Narciso V. Abellana has clarified that the construction and fundraising for the Bachawan Parish Church were completed before recent allegations involving supposed ghost projects and flood control contracts surfaced.
In a statement issued October 5, Abellana also addressed questions about the names displayed on the parish marker, including those of the Madronas, the Discaya family, and resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co.
In a statement, the prelate said he was issuing the clarification to prevent the diocese from being drawn into controversy.
He said the parish's development began long before any political issue arose. What is now the Parish of Our Lady of Salvation started as a chapel, later becoming a chaplaincy and then a mission station.
The bishop explained that the original chapel stood in Villa E, in barangay Bachawan, on land donated by the Madrona family. When the mission station was elevated into a parish, the church was relocated within the same barangay to better serve residents outside the family’s village. The new site, also owned by the Madronas, was formally donated to the diocese.
Abellana also addressed questions about the names displayed on the parish marker, including those of the Madronas, the Discaya family, and Co. He said these names were included as expressions of gratitude for donations received during parish fundraising efforts.
“That the names of the Discaya’s, Zaldy Co, and company are on the marker of the parish is our sign of gratitude to them,” he said, adding that all contributions were made before any public controversy emerged.
He also defended the role of Hon. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, a parishioner who chairs the diocese’s Ways and Means Committee. The bishop said Madrona has long supported church projects, seminaries, and chapels, and his involvement in the parish construction should not be questioned.
“As his parish, the construction of the Nuestra Señora de Salvacion church became his concern,” he said, noting that Madrona never declines requests for assistance.
The bishop added that the fundraising was handled at the parish level and that financial records remain with the church.
The Discaya family and Co. are among those prominently mentioned in the Senate investigation into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
“All this happened before the brouhaha of the flood control and ghost projects issue,” Abellana emphasized.
(Oliver Samson is a freelance writer based in the Philippines. He contributes regularly to reputed Catholic magazines and platforms both in the country and abroad.)
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