The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cebu received the As-Built Plans and drawings of the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos, which has been recognized as one of Cebu City’s important cultural properties.
Tsuneishi Technical Services-Philippines (TTSP) and Auksilyo Professionals Incorporated (API) formally handed over the digital documentation of the seminary during a turn-over ceremony on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Fr. Brian Brigoli, Chairman of the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission of the Cultural Heritage of the Church, and Fr. Abel Villarojo, SMSC Dean of Studies, received the documents.
The project was initiated by Seminarian Jeremiah Gandionco as part of his thesis for his Master’s Degree in Cultural Heritage Studies at the University of Santo Tomas.
Gandionco is the second individual in the Archdiocese of Cebu to pursue a degree in cultural heritage studies, following Fr. Brigoli.
His project was made possible through the collaboration of Tsuneishi Technical Services-Philippines and Auksilyo Professionals Incorporated.
Gandionco said, “Not all structures have an existing as-built plan, like the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos.”
He added, “An as-built plan plays a crucial role in the practice of heritage preservation. It also serves as a tool to track and record all parts of the building, particularly those requiring repair and maintenance.”
In his message, TTSP President Engr. Segismundo F. Exaltacion Jr. thanked Gandionco for taking the first step, saying it is their way of being relevant to society.
Tsuneishi provided the tools needed for the digital documentation of SMSC, deploying their expert team to capture the detailed point cloud data of the structure.
“We only provided the ingredients, but it’s them who do the cooking,” Exaltacion said.
API Senior Architect for Business Development Edward Lim explained that with the point cloud data in hand, API’s Building Information Modeling specialists were able to develop a complete 3D model of SMSC.
API Chairman Engr. Exuperto P. Cabataña emphasized that the collaboration is a concrete example of how different stakeholders can contribute to the advancement of local industries while serving the needs of the community.
Fr. Brigoli said he was amazed by the result of the project because it truly captured all parts of the seminary, including the façade.
He stressed that digital recording of church sites is very important because, just like when the earthquake struck Bohol, many churches collapsed and it was difficult to find the as-built plans of the structures.
He added that he hopes the Archbishop’s Palace will also be included in future digital documentation for its preservation, as it currently has no existing as-built plans.
Meanwhile, Fr. Villarojo thanked TTSP and API for supporting Gandionco and providing him with the tools needed to complete his project.