ORIGINAL families who settled in Dagupan are pooling efforts 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.

Also at the ground-breaking rites were members of the families of the Fernandezes, Reynas, Manaoises, Siapnos, Villaflors, Samsons, Rayoses, Torios, Villamils, Coquias, Llamases and the others.

Unable to attend were the descendants of the Filipino-Chinese settlers Jimmy Fernandez and Mariano Lim and others who were 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 to symbolize the passage of one life to another..

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.