It was declared as a National Historic Landmark in 1998 under the leadership of Monsignor Jesus Enojo assisted by Congressman Narciso Montfort.

The present church was completed in 1910 under the guidance of Father Mariano Conjugacion and played a significant role during the Spanish and Japanese occupations.

This resulted the Spanish government to send an army to pacify them by burning their settlements and killing some of the natives including their leader Sugaob for revenge.

Military reinforcements arrived in 1581 and with them was the parish priest of Dumangas, Father Juan de Peñanosa which aimed to forcefully Christianize the natives, even to the point of murdering the people to participate within the program.

On June 13, 1944, during the first ever fiesta of the barrio, Juan Maquiling, a spy from the Filipino troops penetrated and annihilated all of the Japanese soldiers inside the church.

In 2002, a Church Building Commission under Monsignor Ramon Pet was organized and was tasked to construct the following: a new altar and a dome, new convent, adoration chapel, new parish hall, quarters for the altar boys, boutique and main parking area, cemetery chapel and memorial park.