Manila, Oct. 6 -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Central Visayas has identified several heritage structures and tourist sites severely damaged by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province of Cebu on Sept. 30.

In a statement on Monday, the DOT reported that at least five historically and culturally significant churches across northern Cebu suffered structural and cosmetic damage, according to the rapid assessment conducted by the Archdiocese of Cebu in coordination with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

These include the Archdiocesan Shrine of Sta. Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan (coral stone church, 1858); Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Chur...