DAGUPAN CITY – Original families who settled in Dagupan have bonded themselves in order to build the Capilla de San Juan de Evangelista costing more than P8 million just beside the St. John Metropolitan Cathedral.

Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr., congressman of the fourth district of Pangasinan, led the ground-breaking rites for the  project, attended by descendants of the original families who made Dagupan their home.

De Venecia, whose family was among the original families who came to Dagupan, then a prosperous municipality of Pangasinan, initially contributed P50,000 of his P1 million pledge for the project.

Those who were not able to attend were the descendants of the Filipino-Chinese settlers Jimmy Fernandez and Mariano Lim and others, among the original families that came to Dagupan.

Dr. Aurora Samson Reyna of the University of Luzon said the Capilla San Juan de Evangelista will be a house that will symbolize the passage of one life to another life.

Dr. Gregoria Villaflor, prime mover of the project, confirmed that the chapel will be built with the help of the heirs of the original families who came to the city.

The ground-breaking rite was attended by Monsignor Rafael Magno and Fr. Manuel de los Santos, parochial vicar. (PNA)