Giant fans keep Davao churches cool and green

Summer is here and to keep churches cool and environment-friendly despite the tropical heat of the Philippines, churches in Davao City have installed giant ceiling fans known as “Big Ass” fans.

Three parishes in the Archdiocese of Davao have started the practice of installing ceiling fans instead of putting up centralized air-conditioning systems, which contribute to rising global temperatures due to carbon emissions.

San Pedro Cathedral Parish in the downtown area has installed three units last December 2014, improving the ventilation of the church, especially during jam-packed Sunday Masses.

San Pablo Parish in Juna Subdivision in Matina followed suit in January 2015, putting up three units. The units were blessed by Archbishop of Davao Romulo G. Valles during the fiesta celebration last February 22.

Ascension of the Lord Parish at GSIS Heights Subdivision has also installed on February 24 one unit, which is bigger than the one in San Pedro, in the middle of the church’s ceiling.

The three parishes have raised funds for the purchase and installation costs of the ceiling fans through donations from fundraising activities.

The units in the three parishes are of the same kind as those seen in Davao City’s shopping mall food courts, which also use fans by Big Ass to ventilate the dining area. Big Ass is a brand of industrial fans that move high volumes of air at low speeds.

Aside from being less expensive than regular air-conditioning units, ceiling fans cost cheaper in terms of maintenance and electricity consumption.

From then on, other parishes like St. Francis of Assisi in Ma-a have also installed their own ceiling fans to minimize heat especially when people flock during the celebration of Sunday Masses.