Developers hope the three-phase project will draw the religious and tourists once it is completed because of its amenities — a retreat center, rosary garden, prayer grounds, pilgrim center and a commercial center, among others.
As for the project’s phase one, it focuses on building the shrine’s foundation up to ground level and it is already 70 percent complete, according to Fr. Brian Brigoli, chairman of the technical working group (TWG) of the Shrine of the Divine Mercy de Cebu Foundation Inc.
Brigoli told SunStar Cebu on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, that they have allocated P50 million in funding solely the construction of phase one.
“We will probably finish phase one in two months from now, but we will not be able to start the phase two immediately because of the availability of funds,” he revealed.
The second phase will involve the construction from the podium on the ground level up to a structure approximately 15 meters high, while the final phase will be dedicated to building the 177-foot image of the Divine Mercy (Jesus Christ).
Funding
Brigoli said that although they have some benefactors, their contributions are not yet sufficient to start phase two right away.
During the interview, Brigoli failed to provide an exact cost estimate of the project, but said they will likely spend over P200 million for the completion of the shrine.
“The price of the materials will also vary. For example, next year we can start it, we either plus or minus the amount. So the exact amount cannot be pegged,” said Brigoli.
“Even the contractor’s quotation is only valid for six months. After that time frame, they will scrap the quotation and make a new one due to inflation,” he added.
Brigoli said the main benefactors come from the Shrine of the Divine Mercy de Cebu Foundation Inc., a foundation under the Divine Mercy Philippines Archdiocese of Cebu.
He further said the Cebu Archdiocesan Apostolic Congress on Mercy began selling Divine Mercy cards last September to raise funds for the shrine’s construction.
The card costs around P100 plus a minimum donation of P100 for the shrine, or a total of P200.
Features
Apart from the towering structure of the Divine Mercy image, the shrine will include other unique features, such as an elevator inside the statue itself.
Brigoli said there will also be a viewing deck around the waistline of the statue, which will give tourists and pilgrims views of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Lapu-lapu City and the coastal areas of Cebu.
Developers also plan to create more structures where visiting pilgrims can reflect and pray, including some retreat houses.
The priest hopes the shrine will attract pilgrims not only from the local community but also from outside the country.
First in Visayas
Brigoli said that once the Catholic pilgrimage site is completed, the Visayas region will finally have its own Divine Mercy shrine.
“The devotion to the Divine Mercy is huge, however, only the Visayas region does not have its own structure,” he said.
Other shrines are located in Luzon, one in Marilao, Bulacan and another in Balanga City, Bataan. In Mindanao, the renowned shrine is in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental.
According to Brigoli, the feast day of the Divine Mercy falls on the first Sunday after the resurrection or Easter Sunday every Holy Week, as mandated by the late Pope John Paul II.
Construction of the shrine began in September 2022, while construction of the road leading to the area started in April of the same year.