Filipino Cultural Heritage

In Focus: Getting Our Heritage to Survive the Ages

By Augusto F. Villalon

September 15, 2003

The year 2001 was when heritage conservationists flexed their muscles, forged partnerships with
environmentalists to protect heritage and tested the effectiveness of Philippine law in preserving the
nation’s cultural heritage. It was a positive year for heritage. The National Museum declared 26 churches
as National Treasures, starting a major restoration program by the National Commission for Culture and
the Arts.

· Nielson Tower in Makati received an honorable mention in the prestigious UNESCO Asia-Pacific
Heritage Awards. The UNESCO-Arirang Prize donated by the Republic of Korea was bestowed on the
Hudhud, the traditional Ifugao harvest chant, as one of 10 examples of ‘’Masterpiece of Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity.’’

· The year ended with the inscription of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras on the World
Heritage in Danger List by UNESCO.

· It was also the year when the Ramon Magsaysay Award was given for the first time in recognition
of cultural heritage: for lifelong efforts of Ikuo Hirayama who traveled from Japan along the Silk Road to
preserve its treasures.
· The useless demolition of Manila’s Jai Alai building in June 2000 was the catalyst that opened
Filipino eyes to the fragility of the remaining symbols from our past. The intense protest to save the Jai
Alai ended in a negotiation process between conservationists and city officials.

· However, before the process with Manila Mayor Lito Atienza could come to conclusion, he issued
the order to demolish the Art Deco Manila landmark designed by the internationally renowned Los
Angeles architect Welton Beckett in 1939.

· It felt like a helpless situation. With the Jai Alai building gone, the threat to national heritage
became clear to a greater number of Filipinos and getting it to survive the ages required increased
effort.

Why survive?

Getting our heritage to survive the ages keeps alive the collection of cultural markers that set Filipinos
apart as a unique people. They show our future generations what our shared Filipino identity is,
establishing a sense of national pride so necessary to keep us centered during the current globalization
process. Therefore, it is essential to keep the total heritage picture alive, an entire range of cultural
markers produced by Filipino culture over the ages in the literature, music, painting, sculpture and
decorative arts, running the extent of life expressions including the cuisine that is uniquely ours.

· Architecture is part of the heritage picture. Its spans the clusters of bahay kubo villages through
the bahay na bato in Spanish colonial towns, to the American period Beaux-Arts urban planning of
Manila and Baguio that became the model replicated in many Philippine cities, including present
architecture which is the heritage we are leaving our future generations.

· Although the awareness for heritage preservation has been increasing in the past decade, cultural
heritage is still mostly unappreciated by a nation whose narrow view focuses on the present.

· Little realization exists that looking to the past to understand, to remember and to preserve
heritage is the groundwork for planning for the future of the country. The paradigm exists that a country
still in the development struggle has no place or budget to preserve the old, the traditional and the
historic.
· Progress is achieved at the expense of removing everything old to give way to the new and
modern, a theory presented in 1942 by the German economist Joseph Schumpeter in his book
Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy.

· The 1942 mindset is still the rationale for many of the setbacks that plague heritage conservation
in the Philippines. It provides the convenient rationalization that scarce national resources should be
allocated to meet the needs of the here and now rather than being wasted on elitist efforts to preserve
the old.

· Events in the past year brought out the need to resolve the clash between ‘’creative destruction’’
and the more current view that conserving heritage is the basis for sustainable urban development and
for establishing a sense of nationalism.

· The conservation issue of 2001 was the announcement by Manila Mayor Atienza of his plans to
construct the Park and Ride, a three-story bus terminal and parking building on the northend of the
Mehan Garden.

· The second part of the plan was the proposal to transfer the City College manila from its present
location in the former Philippine National Bank building on the Escolta to the southend of the garden.

· The mayor and his City Council’s response to the protest was that the protesters stood in the way
of progress.

· To save Mehan Garden, the conservation circle expanded to include various artists’ and
environmental non-government organizations, signaling that heritage conservation is a multisectoral
concern.

· They launched a joint protest with a ‘’Picnic in the Park’’ on World Environment Day, June 5, 2001.
· For the picnic, the Winner Foundation opened the gates of its Arroceros Forest Park, a thriving
Central Manila mini-forest in the improbable location at the foot of Quezon Bridge between the Pasig
River and Arroceros Street.

· The morning picnic under the leafy shade was proof of how green spaces renew the quality of
polluted city air and provide the rare inner-city open spaces that Manila lacks.

· In a serenade to Mehan Garden, three tenors sang ‘’I Never Thought I’d See a Poem as Lovely as a
Tree’’, the Bayanihan danced, and Alejandro Roces, former secretary of education and current head of
the MTRCB, reminisced about the Mehan Garden of his youth.

Subsequently, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) responded and
revoked the Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the Park and Ride. The DENR further issued a
temporary restraining order (TRO) on the grounds that necessary permits were not previously obtained
from the National Historical Institute and the National Museum. Because of its declaration as a National
Historical Site, Presidential Decree 260 states that the NHI must approve any changes to Mehan Garden.
By virtue of the National Museum designation of the area as an archeological site, clearance from the
museum must precede any construction. City Hall admitted ignorance to the NHI and National Museum
laws. City authorities ignored both the TRO and the P50,000 a day fine imposed by the DENR, continuing
construction until the illegal structure was completed in December 2001.

· The construction of the City College of Manila was delayed, pending the identification of suitable
alternate locations by a search committee which identified the Avancena High School in Quiapo, the
Veterans Bank building on Arroceros and the site of the former Ateneo de Municipal in Intramuros.

· The Intramuros site was chosen as the best of the alternatives. Negotiations with the Department
of Tourism, the owner of the Intramuros site, began and remained unresolved at years’ end.

· With Mehan Garden setting the precedent, similar cases where the NHI and National Museum
laws were ignored in favor of development projects were reported to the Heritage Conservation Society:
Fuerte Concepcion Inmaculada del Truinfo in Ozamis City, Huluga Caves in Misamis Oriental, Fort San
Pedro in Cebu City, Balayan Church in Batangas.
· DENR intensified its cooperation with the heritage sector by requiring clearances from the NHI and
National Museum before issuing ECCs.

· The existing laws for the protection of heritage were tested in the courts. The Heritage
Conservation Society pursued its case against Intramuros Administrator Dominador Ferrer Jr. for the
illegality of the contract with Overseas Construction and Development Corporation that allowed leasing
portions of the Intramuros walls for development.

· It was a year that saw many conservation conferences. Far Eastern University organized an
international conference on urban planning and heritage conservation. The Instituto Cervantes lecture
series included lectures on heritage by Javier Galvan, architect and director of the Instituto Cervantes
who spoke on the endangered Spanish colonial architecture, Fr. Guillermo Tejon, OP, on ‘’Padre
Valverde, Urban Planner and Road Builder,’’ Dr. Jaime Laya on homes of the Spanish period.

· The Cultural Heritage Program of the Ateneo de Manila and the Heritage Conservation Society
conducted ‘’Manila’s Heritage from Past to Future in Quiapo’’ that recognized ‘’a clear appraisal to our
right to culture and our right to protect evidence of such a culture.’’

· The National Museum declared 26 Spanish colonial churches as National Treasures

1. Bacong (Negros Oriental),

2. Balayan (Batangas),

3. Betis (Pampanga),

4. Boljo-on (Cebu),

5. Calasiao (Pangasinan),
6. Dupax (Nueva Viscaya),

7. Guiuan (Samar),

8. Jasaan (Misamis Oriental),

9. Jimenez (Misamis Occidental), Lazi (Siquijor),

10. Loboc (Bohol),

11. Luna (La Union),

12. Mahatao (Batanes),

13. Magsingal (Ilocos Sur),

14. Majayjay (Laguna),

15. Maragondon (Cavite),

16. Masinloc (Zambales,

17. Pan-ay (Capiz),

18. Romblon (Romblon),

19. Rizal (Cagayan),

20. San Joaquin (Iloilo),

21. Tabaco (Albay),

22. Tanay (Rizal),

23. Tayabas (Quezon),

24. Tayum (Abra) and

25. Tumauini (Isabela).

· The NCCA responded to the declaration by initiating a project that provides technical assistance by
qualified conservation practitioners for the churches.

· There were more opportunities to experience heritage in 2001 than in previous years.

· The monthly Heritage Walking Tours series sponsored by the Heritage Conservation Society
offered members and guests visits guided by respected historians and architects to places normally
restricted to the public: San Beda Chapel, Far Eastern University Campus and the Universityof Santo
Tomas campus.
· Private homes in Taal (Batangas), Malolos, Malabon and San Miguel (Bulacan) were opened for
visits. Of special interest was the tour of four turn-of-the-20th-century fire stations in Manila in Tanduay,
San Nicolas, Paco and Intramuros.

· Walks around the Luneta, the Escolta and the Intramuros walls were so well-attended that they
are now given regularly.

The irony of it all is that despite local apathy towards conservation, Philippine efforts in heritage
conservation received international notice in 2001. After receiving the NCCA Alab ng Haraya award for
heritage conservation, UNESCO awarded an honorable mention to the former Nielson Tower, now the
Filipinas Heritage Library. Built in 1937, the Art Deco structure was one of the earliest airports in Asia. It
ceased functioning as an airport in 1948. Its two runways became the anchors for the present-day
Makati Business District, Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas. In 1949, it housed the offices of the
Integrated Property Development Corp and the Ayala police detachment. From the late 1970s to 1994, it
was as a fine dining restaurant aptly called Nielson Tower. Its present makeover was in 1994 when
Architects International and Leandro V. Locsin and Partners reworked the heritage structure into the
Filipinas Heritage Library.

· The NCCA cited the Nielson Tower for ‘’being a remarkable illustration of cultural conservation
through adaptive reuse manifested in the architecture of the library’’ and for ‘’elevating people’s
understanding of the need to preserve and study the nation’s heritage and has stood as clear proof of
the power of foresight.’’

· The UNESCO citation read: ‘’The impressive conversion of one of Asia’s earliest airports into a
heritage library represents a major achievement in preserving an important era of Manila’s history.

· Historical events and architecture are exemplified in the legacy of the structure and in the
excellent choice to continue its livelihood as an educational facility.

· In a time of rapid urban development and expansion, the Nielson Tower is an excellent model for
others to follow on how to appropriately re-adapt historic structures in the community.’’
· The other entries for UNESCO award in 2001 manifest the high quality of preservation or adaptive
reuse in the Philippines: the Balay Negrense in Silay, the Fule-Malvar Mansion in San Pablo City, the
Orchid Garden Suites in Manila and the Zaragoza Residence in Vigan.

· The last heritage milestone of 2001 was the inscription of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine
Cordilleras, the first ‘’continuing cultural landscape’’ inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the
‘’World Heritage in Danger’’ list. It signaled that the international community supports the Philippine
government in increasing conservation efforts for the threatened site.

· 2001 was a year of setting of precedents. It established that the concern for our heritage is
mutisectoral. Nielson Tower proved the viability of adaptive re-use within the context of valuable Makati
real estate, an example that the new need to be at the expense of building over the old.

Hopefully, the heritage events of 2001 will crystalize the Filipino’s vision of himself, of the
importance that his culture survive the ages to form the basis of national identity and national
development. The trashing of Philippine cities exemplifies the national neglect of our heritage and the
cavalier disregard of authorities for existing preservation legislation. People cannot be expected to take
care of their surroundings if they have no understanding and love for them, without having any
knowledge of their value and meaning. The battle for heritage to survive the ages gained much ground
in the past year. (‘’In Focus: Getting Our Heritage to Survive the Ages – National Commission for Culture
and the Arts,’’ n.d.)

HISTORIC SITES AND LANDMARKS RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION OF THE
PHILIPPINES

(Torres, 2018)

Hundreds of sites all over the Philippines became part of our history and culture. Many of these
sites as well as landmarks are recognized by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP). As stated in Republic Act No. 10086, the NHCP is ‘’ responsible for the conservation and
preservation of the country’s historical legacies. Its major thrusts encompass an ambitious cultural
program on historical studies, curatorial works, architectural conservation, Philippine heraldry, historical
information dissemination activities, restoration and preservation of relics and memorabilia of heroes
and other renowned Filipinos. The NHCP undertakes the commemoration of significant events and
personages in Philippine history and safeguards the blazoning of the national government and its
political divisions and instrumentalities.’’ Historical information dissemination activities also include the
recognition of historical sites and landmarks, turning them into museums and parks, and making them
open to visitors such as students to promote historical awareness among the youth.

Aside from this historical landmarks and shrines, other places that can be visited to broaden our
knowledge of Philippine history and culture include government- and private-run museums:

The National Museum Complex is composed of:

a. The National Museum of Fine Arts (Old Legislative Building)

b. The National Museum of Anthropology (Old Finance Building)

c. The National Museum of Natural History (Old Agriculture and Commerce Building)

d. And the National Planetarium

Private Museums and other institutions also have their share of contributing to the preservation of our
heritage. Many of these places are limited to special collections but are themselves a significant part of
history and in the study of it. Some examples of these museums are as follows:

a. UST Museum of Arts and Sciences located at the University of Santo Tomas campus

b. Ayala Museum located in Makati

c. The Lopez Museum and Library located at the Benpres Building, Ortigas Complex in Mandaluyong
d. The Kaisa Angelo King Heritage Center located in Intramuros which highlights our Tsinoy or Chinese-
Filipino heritage

e. The Museo Iloilo in Iloilo City which focuses on cultural and historical artifacts not only from Iloilo
but also from Panay Island

f. The Juan D. Nepomuceno Center for Kapampangan Studies, which focuses on the study of
Kapampangan language, history and culture located in the campus of the Holy Angel University in
Angeles City, Pampanga

g. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, though recognized as a performance venue, which houses art
galleries for exhibits and a collection of artworks by recognized Filipino artists including those by the
National Artists of the Philippines

The continuous growth of awareness of the remnants of our historical and cultural past has made
Filipinos place a large value on preserving the old buildings and districts around the country. This
eventually led to the passage of the National Cultural Heritage Act (Republic Act No. 10066) which
created the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property and the rules and regulations to preserve historic
buildings that are over 50 years. It was signed into law on March 25, 2009.

· There were earlier attempts to preserve the artifacts of history and culture. The first district that
was declared a National Heritage site was the Intramuros district which was the former Walled City of
Manila. This was followed by Vigan City in Ilocos Sur and later by Silay City in Negros Occidental.

· These areas follow heritage laws formulated to preserve their historic buildings, open spaces and
local traditions while at the same time blending with the modern surroundings.

· Historic buildings that date back to the Spanish and American colonial periods the survived the
Second World Was have also been preserve by either the government or private institutions. Examples
of these are the buildings of the campuses of the University of the Philippines – Manila and the
University of Santo Tomas, the Philippine General Hospital, the capitol buildings of the different
provinces such as in Leyte and Pangasinan, as well as private houses and buildings like the Gota de Leche
Building in Sampaloc, Manila.

· Spanish colonial churches that can be found in towns and cities all over the country are also
included in this category.

· Monuments that date back to the colonial eras are also being preserved. Many of these
monuments are found in plazas and parks in different towns and cities in Manila and the urban areas of
provinces.

· These monuments are important not only because they commemorate places, people and historic
events but also because they are markers of our past. Examples of these monuments in Manila are the
Carriedo Fountain, King Carlos IV Monument, the Legaspi-Urdaneta Monument, the Queen Isabel II of
Spain Monument and the Simon de Anda Monument.

· Other significant places are concrete pieces of evidence of our precolonial past. These are the
archeological sites that are mostly found in the provinces. Some of these sites are already open to public
although traveling entails long hikes since many of them are in the mountains areas or in islands.

· Examples of these areas are the Ifugao Rice Terraces, the Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves, the
Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran Municipalities and the Paleolithic Archeological Sites
in Cagayan Valley where the bones of what is believed to be the oldest human being in the Philippines –
Callao Man – was found.

REFERENCES :

Camagay, M., Ancheta, J., Bernal, M., Guiang, F., Malban, F., Ramos, D. II. 2018. Unraveling the past:
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Fastbooks Educational Supply, Inc.

Torres, J. (2018). BATIS Sources in Philippine History. Quezon City, Philippines: C&E Publishing, INC.

Online :

Torres, J.V. 2018. Batis. Philippines. C & E Publishing, Inc.

Candelaria, J, and Alporha, V. 2018. Readings in Philippine history. Quezon City. Rex Book Store

Villalon, Toti (July 15, 2012). "Remember jai alai: Stop making Manila heritage demolition victim".
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 30 August 2012.

Henares, Ivan (15 April 2010). "Republic Act No. 10066 - National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009". Ivan
about Town. Retrieved 30 August 2012.

Bonvito (2010-04-23) "Text of the Philippine National Cultural Heritage Law". Time Traveling. Retrieved
on 2010-10-26.

"Touring the Ancestral Houses of Silay, Negros Occidental". Travelog Philippines. Retrieved on 2011-10-
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"Bonifacio Trial House". National Historical Commission. Retrieved on 2011-10-27.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_the_Philippines