Atm 4990 - Tourism Research: Level of Awareness On The Values of Heritage Sites and The Proposed Anti Photobombers Bill

ATM 4990 - TOURISM RESEARCH
LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON THE VALUES OF HERITAGE SITES AND THE
PROPOSED ANTI PHOTOBOMBERS BILL
____________________
A Thesis
Presented to the Faculty of the
Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management
University of the East – Manila
____________________
In partial fulfillment of the
Requirement for the Degree of
Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management
____________________
By
Barretto, Adriene Nicole R.

Gaing, Julie Anne L.
Garcia, Mica V.
Menes, Alexa Maryse DC.
Oximoso, Donna Lyssa R.
Santos, Irish Rhoxette M.
Sejane, Christine May M.
Tacluyan, John Patrick T.
2022
CHAPTER 1
The Problem and Its Background
Introduction
The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, otherwise known as Republic
Act No. 10066 was introduced by Senator Edgardo J. Angara and signed by
former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo last March 25, 2009. The legislation
strives to safeguard, preserve, conserve, and promote cultural heritage
properties, histories, and the ethnicity of local communities; develop and
enhance cultural institutions; and protect cultural workers by ensuring its
professional advancement and well-being (Official Gazette, 2010).
As amended in Article XIII Section 48 of Republic Act No. 10066,
Representative Lagman's House Bill No. 102, expressly prohibits any
construction or real estate development that will block the view and sightlines of
any national shrine, monument, landmark, or other historical institution (House
of Representatives House Bills and Resolutions, 2019).
On the other hand, House Bill No. 8829, also known as "Cultural Property
Sightline Act" was introduced by Representatives Lagman and Romulo in
substitution for the initial House Bill No. 102, which addressed the act to protect
the physical integrity of cultural properties from adverse visual impact. Including
the penalization of any obstruction of the view and sightline. Visual impact, from
the bill, refers to any modification to the appearance, view, or general perception
of immovable cultural property through sight. It could have been caused by
temporary or permanent; reversible or irreversible; positive or beneficial relating
to rehabilitative or compatible; or adverse relating to detractive or incompatible
developments. The stated sight includes sightline, visual context and catchment,
viewing corridor, focal dominance, and skyline (House of Representatives House
Bills and Resolutions, 2021). Subsequently reviewed on the final reading, the
House of Representatives approved the bill having affirmative votes of 210 and
no or zero negative votes during the session dated March 15, 2021, as reported
by Bajo (GMA News, 2021).
The latest advancements, as mentioned by Cabanban occurred with the
panel's deliberation on August 17, 2022, when bill was approved by the House
Committee on Basic Education and Culture, currently known as House Bill No.
1994, which Rep. Lagman also submitted to safeguard the visibility and
appreciation for national historical monuments, shrines, as well as other
cultural landmarks. The bill also instructs local government units (LGUs) to use
city and municipal legislation to stop "adverse visual impact" on cultural sites
by real estate developers within its respective jurisdictions. Therefore, Rep.
Lagman formally titled House Bill No. 1994 as An Act Protecting the Physical
Integrity of a Cultural Property from Adverse Visual Impact and Prohibiting Any
Obstruction to Its View and Sightline. Wherein it has been amended for its
purpose of Republic Act No. 10066. Lagman introduced similar bills as HB 8829
during the preceding 18th Congress. It had also been approved at the time of the
Basic Education and Culture committee chaired by Romulo; however, it did not
prosper into law (Manila Bulletin, 2022).
In his explanation, Lagman mentioned the contentious Torre De Manila
condominium, an 870-meter-tall building that towers over the Rizal Monument
in Luneta Park, Manila, as a photobomber (House of Representatives House Bills
and Resolutions, 2022).
The Torre de Manila dispute began in 2012 when the government
organization of Manila Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals (MZBAA)
granted DMCI Project Develop Incorporated, a subsidiary of Consunji-led DMCI
Holdings, zoning permission for the condominium's development. Carlos
Celdran, a cultural heritage activist opposed the design, claiming it would block
visitors' views of the Rizal Monument. Nevertheless, former City Mayor Alfredo
Lim rejected the council resolution preventing the condominium's development
a month before the 2013 local election. In response, Celdran decided to relaunch
the online petition opposing the building's construction. Therefore, City
Councilor Bagatsing overturned Lim's decision to reject the resolution in
November 2013, several months after Joseph Estrada was elected mayor of the
city, because the building's construction had violated zoning regulations
regarding the floor area ratio and height restrictions within a
university/institution cluster zone wherein the decision temporarily halted the
development on the condominium, according to Medina (Philippine Daily
Inquirer, 2017).
The following year, Knights of Rizal, along with counterpart organization
the Las Damas de Rizal Philippines Inc., also filed a petition regarding The Torre
de Manila's development must be stopped as it is obstructing the view of the
national shrine, setting the worst precedent possible for devaluing heritage
landmarks in the nation (Philippine Inquirer, 2015).
In orienting the Philippines toward upholding the nation's heritage, the
declaration of policy mentioned in the 1987 Constitution Article XIV Section 15
provides that the State is responsible for the conservation, promotion, and
popularization of the country's cultural and historical heritage, including the
resources. The nation's historical and cultural history and the works of art
created by its citizens must thus be preserved, protected, and promoted by the
State. Additionally, defend historical monuments, shrines, and landmarks
against development aggression and profit-driven encroachment to respect the
heroic deeds of the nation's heroes and martyrs and the significant milestones
in its history (House of Representatives House Bills and Resolutions, 2022).

Background of the Study
The controversial case of the Torre de Manila condominium, located in the
City of Manila, has undergone six court hearings. After the petitions of the
activists and groups that demanded to cease the condominium project, the DMCI
developer disregarded the opinions and complaints of the people. Reasoning that
the said building is far from the heritage site itself; it did not affect the monument
of Rizal; the city officials gave the DMCI developers the clearance to continue the
project.
D. M. Consunji Inc. is a leading engineering-based integrated construction
company in the Philippines founded by Eng. David M. Consunji, in 1954 has
operated for about 65 years as the contractor behind the successful
infrastructure, buildings, utilities, and plants (DMCI, n.d.). As a subsidiary of
DMCI Holding, DMCI Homes, known as DMCI Project Developers Inc., is a real
estate firm that provides and builds high-quality resorts and condominiums in
the Philippines (DMCI Holdings, n.d.).
In 2014, Senator Pia Cayetano questioned DMCI about why they
proceeded with the building's construction despite knowing the zoning
restrictions in the said area. As a response, DMCI reasoned that the previous
administration had approved the building's completion. The following year, the
National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) issued the termination of the
Torre de Manila because it obscured the view of Rizal's monument. The agency
cited the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (RA. No. 10066), which protects
and conserves national cultural properties and mandates that immovable
national cultural treasures (e.g., national historical landmarks, shrines,
monuments, and sites) and cultural properties shall not negatively affect their
significance, dignity, and authenticity (NCCA, 2009). However, the DMCI
continued to insist, claiming that only the Supreme Court could stop the
building's construction.
DMCI insisted that there is no law prohibiting photobombing. Due to this,
the Cultural Property Sightline Act was introduced to protect the sightlines of
cultural properties. "Today, eight years later, the Philippines still lacks a law that
will obviate the recurrence of the Torre de Manila issue" (Lagman, 2022). House
Bill No. 1994 or House Bill No. 8829 was driven to approval by Marikina City 1st
District Rep. Marjorie Teodoro during the committee hearing. The motion was
seconded by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, and then Culture Rep.
Roman Romuloand, the Committee on Basic Education's chairman, approved
the bill with no second thoughts (Manila Bulletin, 2022).
In the long run, the Supreme Court issued a temporary suppression order
to stop the construction of the Torre de Manila. At the same time, former Mayor
Estrada blatantly blamed the previous Mayor Lim, for approving and signing the
permits for the controversial condominium (Rappler, 2015).
One argument of the DMCI why Torre de Manila does not directly affect
the Rizal Monument is that its location is far from the cultural heritage site itself.
On the other hand, in the case of San Sebastian Basilica Church, a condominium
is being constructed right behind the church. Subsequently, the Recollect

Ordered and San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation,
Inc. petitioned to stop the construction of the foundation of a high-rise story
condominium building behind the church (Manila Bulletin, 2021). According to
the anthropologist Dr. Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita, building construction would
overshadow the church and lose its integrity. Nonetheless, the concern also
covers the impact of its foundations, as the condominium will be built 75 meters
behind the church, as mentioned by Tina Paterno, the Executive Director of the
San Sebastian Conservation and Development Foundation (ANCX, 2018).
According to Edgar Allan Sembrano of the Philippine Daily Inquirer,
another controversy arose concerning Iloilo's heritage district. A high-rise
building is about to be built in the heritage area in the province of Iloilo at the
intersection of Calle Real, Ledesma, and Iznart streets on Plazoleta Gay.
According to the heritage advocates, they are alarmed by the rising issue of
constructing a thirty-one-story building called Terranza Residence in the
heritage area as it affects the visual integrity of the whole downtown of the
province. Eric Zerrudo, an Iloilo native and director of the University of Santo
Tomas Graduate School-Center for Conservation of Cultural and Environment
in the Tropics, was "shocked" by the said development when in fact, it has been
already exemplified in Ordinances No. 54 of 2000, a good balance of heritage and
development to protect the Downtown Central Business District (CBD) of the
province (Lifestyle Inquirer, 2021).
The need to conserve and protect the cultural heritage sightline arises,
evident in the aforementioned examples that tackled controversies regarding

constructing buildings near the vicinities of immovable national cultural
treasures. Focusing on the Torre de Manila issue paved the way for the
government to amend the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 to prevent these
instances from occurring in the future. However, whether the Torre de Manila
condominium has adversely affected the visual impact of the Rizal Monument,
the Philippines lacks a law that protects cultural heritage sightlines from
recurrence of building real estate residences, which might affect their integrity,
viewership, and appreciation. This study striven to determine the level of
awareness of the values of Heritage Sites and the proposed Anti-Photobombers
Bill.
Setting of the Study
The city of Manila was the Philippines' first chartered city, as enacted on
July 31, 1901, under the Philippine Commission Act 183. This city is known to
be the national capital city of the Philippines. Manila City, with 42.34 square
kilometers of land, has six (6) congressional districts, seventeen (17)
administrative districts, one hundred (100) zones, and eight hundred and ninety-
six (896) barangays, which makes it the highly populated city in the National
Capital Region. (Lungsod ng Maynila, n.d.) According to the 2020 Census of
Population and Housing (2020 CPH), the population of Manila has reached
1,846,513 million as of May 1, 2020, which takes up 14% of the total population
of the National Capital Region.

The research locale was in the City of Manila, Philippines. The said location
was optimal for gathering research subjects who served as representation for the
populace of Manila. Prior to data collection, the researcher sought the informed
consent of the respondents to adhere to ethical considerations of research. With
the assistance of the respondents' evaluation, the level of awareness on the
values of heritage sites and the proposed Anti- Photobombers Bill were
determined.
Figure 1. Philippine Map

Figure 2. National Capital Region Map
Figure 3. City of Manila Map

Theoretical Framework
From Leydesdorff & Zawdie (2010), the framework refers to multiple
mutual relationships. There are different modes of the Triple Helix concept. It
differs based on what is the main focus. Triple Helix collaboration can mediate
constraints on the crossroad between creative industry and cultural heritage
tourism. It acts as a multi-actor collaboration with subjects with common
interests. (Setyagung, Hani, Azzadina, Sianipar, & Shii, 2013).
Figure 4. Triple Helix Theory
The framework is a method for assimilating heritage values regarding
mindset, motive, and behaviors toward the heritage. It proposes that citizen
sensing can help to measure information about the relationship between citizens
and heritage. The framework considers heritage conservation and protection.
The interrelationship between the surrounding heritage and the residents,

particularly the local communities, can be essential in urban and regional
development (Monteiro, Painho, & Vaz, 2015).
Figure 5. Heritage Reputation using Citizen Sensing
Cultural Heritage is both tangible and intangible. Tangible Heritage is
artifacts, clothes, art, food, photographs, etc. In contrast, Intangible Heritage is
values, beliefs, languages, traditions, history, religion, and skills. The Heritage
Cycle represents the cycle of Cultural Heritage. It says that Cultural Heritage
must be understood, valued, cared for, and enjoyed in order to be shared.
Cultural Heritage is a vast subject to cover, and focusing on how to preserve it
is essential. With the content of the Heritage Cycle, it shows specifically the
rotation of my understanding, people would value Heritage; by valuing, people
would want to take care of Heritage; by caring, it would help people to enjoy it;
by enjoying, a thirst for understanding from the people would arise; and the cycle
would continue (Thurley, 2005).
Figure 6. Heritage Cycle
Conceptual Framework
Figure 7 is a diagram representing the theories collected to show the level
of awareness of the values of heritage sites and the proposed Anti- Photobombers
Bill. The researchers comprise the three indirectly theoretical frameworks
presented above. Triple Helix Theory, Heritage Reputation using Citizen Sensing,
and Heritage Cycle.
In this study, the Triple Helix Theory is shown as the leading theory that
focuses on the four parts: business, government, and cultural heritage. However,
the researchers removed the academia and changed the business into the
community to generalize the respondents and only focused on determining the

integrity, viewership, and appreciation of heritage sites and structures through
the proposed anti-photobombers bill.
The community and government will focus on the Heritage Reputation
using Citizen Sensing, which will assess the respondents' intentions and
behavior to the variables mentioned above.
Under the Heritage Reputation using Citizen Sensing, the Heritage cycle
will assess how the respondents understood, valued, cared for, and enjoyed the
cultural heritage in accordance with preservation, promotion, and public
awareness of the nation's historical legacies for the benefit of present and future
generations.
Henceforth, the conceptual framework entitled "Heritage Sites and
Structure Framework '' significantly shows the role of society by taking the
initiative to participate in protecting the sightline of historical monuments,
shrines, and landmarks in honoring the country's heroes and for reliving the
nations historical milestones.

Figure 7. Heritage Sites and Structure Framework

Statement of the Problem
This study aims to determine the level of awareness on the values of
Heritage Sites and the proposed Anti-Photobombers Bill. Specifically, it would
answer the following questions:
1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
2. What is the level of awareness of the respondents on the Anti-Photobombers
Bill in the following areas:
2.1 Heritage Integrity
2.2 Viewership
2.3 Heritage Appreciation
3. Is there a significant difference between the values of heritage sites and the
demographic profile of the respondents?
4. What are the suggestions and recommendations of the respondents to further
understand the values of heritage sites and the proposed Anti-Photobombers
Bill?
Hypothesis of the Study
There is no significant relationship between the values in the Heritage
Sites and Anti Photobombers Bill based on the residents of the City of Manila.
Significance of the Study
This study sought to determine the level of awareness of values in Heritage
Sites and the proposed Anti Photobombers Bill; the result can be significant to
the following:
To the Local Residence. This study specifically assists the residents of
the City of Manila in being able to raise awareness in the community about the
said policy and be able to realize the importance of the proposed bill by seeing
the elegance of the heritage sites without distractions from the background and
embracing their aesthetic value.
To the Business Conglomerate and Corporation. It is beneficial to the
said business corporations as awareness in valuing heritage sites, to the
economic sector that engages in the construction of buildings, and to raise
guidelines in terms of businesses that have plans in the future to build
infrastructures near cultural properties or sightlines.
To the Government Sectors. It is beneficial to the said government
sectors, specifically to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(NHCP) and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), to become
effective and efficient in implementing rules, regulations, and plans in
supplementing the integrity, viewership, and appreciation of heritage sites and
structures to attain progressive nations historical importance.
To the Future Researchers. The data and information gathered in this study
will serve as enlightenment to future researchers in gaining knowledge and objectives

regarding Cultural Heritage, Preservation and Protection of Heritage, Appreciation of
Cultural Properties, and Cultural Laws.
Scope and Delimitation
The study focuses on the level of awareness of the values of heritage sites and
the proposed Anti- Photobombers Bill. The respondents of the study were only limited
to the residents of the City of Manila. Therefore, the researcher employed a validated
researcher-made survey questionnaire to gather the evaluation of integrity, viewership,
and appreciation of heritage sites and structures through the proposed anti-
photobombers bill. This study is limited to information that will be acquired from
literature and the accuracy of questionnaires that might affect the results of the data.
Definition of Terms
To understand the terms that use in this study, here are the operational
definitions:
Cultural Heritage. It is something that is passed on by generations or
inherited by past generations, such as the traditions, buildings, and languages
that belong to the culture of a country.
Heritage appreciation. It is how people value or take into consideration
the heritage sites and structures, focusing on the awareness and why they must
still be part of the current community.

Heritage integrity. It is the authenticity of the site and structure, the
stand as part of the country’s identity or heritage, and characteristics to be
considered the outstanding universal value.
Viewership. It is the volume of the people or the audience that would view
the heritage site and structure that could be of online platforms or visitor arrivals
at the site.
Photobomber. It is a building or creation that obstructs or takes the visual
dominance of a heritage site, structure, landmarks, and monuments of a nation’s
historical legacy.
Sightline. It is an area that is visible to the eyes of the viewers, looking at the
heritage site, structure, landmarks, and monuments of a nation’s historical legacy.

CHAPTER 2
Review of Related Literature
Cultural Heritage
According to the Philippine Development Plan (2017), culture is the
complex totality of a people's way of life, which encompasses all of the qualities
that a person develops throughout their life as a part of that society, involving
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, conventions, values, ideas, and sentiments.
It gives a solid foundation for living in the present and moving forward by
simplifying and distilling the past.
Protecting our sense of identity depends on maintaining our cultural
heritage. It provides us with an unbreakable bond to historical and social values,
opinions, and cultural practices, which enables us to identify with others and
strengthens our sense of togetherness, belonging, and patriotism, as per U.S
Embassy Manila (2021).
National Heritage Areas are sites where natural, cultural, and historical
resources come together to create cohesive landscapes of major national
significance. National Heritage Areas are vast cultivated land, as opposed to
national parks. In order to establish how to render heritage relevant to local
interests and needs, National Heritage Area organizations work with
communities (National Park Service of U.S, 2022).

Cultural and historical heritage is more diverse than just tangible things.
It is also a social reality of people, or rather, intangible values, where
communication develops with historical and cultural relics. A particular locale's
sign and symbol language convey tales of ancestry, of their perspective, of their
beliefs, and traditions (Paula & Kaufmane, 2020).
According to Karadeniz (2020), cultural heritage reflects the knowledge,
works, values, beliefs, structures, and traditions from the past to the present
that gives identity to the society to which it belongs. Heritage values preserve the
continuity of the knowledge and customs that societies have gathered over time,
linking the past to the present and providing a solid foundation for properly
planning the future. Cultural heritage strengthens camaraderie and cohesion
among members of society by combining all the tangible and intangible
characteristics of the culture and history of the society that enrich people
spiritually.
Social inclusion and equity are factors that are important for cultural
awareness. Building better relationships to enhance social cohesion among
individuals is essential for strengthening the moral structure toward a high-trust
society. For more and better connections among community members, it is
necessary to understand and cherish the culture and values that influence
people's attitudes and behavior (Philippine Development Plan, 2017).
According to the study of Gonzales-Perez and Parcero (2012), cultural
heritage comprises distinct entities. In contrast to being a continual mass,

cultural heritage comprises distinct elements that we can substantially identify
from one another. This does not imply that we always comprehend what these
things are or are driven to break them apart; on the contrary, the often close
links between various objects are an essential part of their nature. We should
not restrict our understanding of "thing" to solely physical objects, but neither
are we referring merely to what is commonly referred to as "tangible heritage";
instead, we are using "thing" in this context to refer to everything relevant that
we might be able to define, including intangible as well as tangible heritage.
Tourism development depends on the cultural heritage's capacity to entice
travelers. Issues affecting the global tourism industry will be examined, focusing
on the significance of cultural heritage (Meha, Tahiri, & Zhubi, 2020).
The UNESCO World Heritage List is a list of cultural landmarks that
individually meet one or more requirements. The following benefits come with
having a site identified as a World Heritage Site: boosting the level of culture in
the area; providing an additional guarantee of preservation; raising the
reputation of the area; promoting the popularization of artifacts, and ensuring
an influx of visitors and investments; providing sufficient funding; and ensuring
control over the condition of the sites (Egoreichenko, 2022).
Before authorizing demolition, renovation, or redevelopment permits, the
Office of the Building Official is mandated by ICOMOS Philippines (2022), to not
only cross-check the proposed development site against the list of officially
NCCA/NHCP- or LGU-declared heritage structures but also against a list of

presumed important cultural properties (buildings 50 years and older, works by
National Artists, so on.) as defined by Republic Act 10066 (The Heritage Act) and
as compiled by PRECUP and Manila's own Tourism Office, before issuing such
permits.
Cultural heritage is becoming ever more critical to notions of risk and
resiliency. Particularly archaeological sites and monuments are seen to be
particularly vulnerable and subject to rising dangers of intentional destruction,
such as during violent conflicts. At the same time, it has come to be accepted
that cultural heritage must be preserved since it is a vital tool in developing
cultural resilience, reducing the risk of natural disasters, and fostering future
peace and reconciliation (Holtorf, 2018).
According to Boyd and Timothy (2003), as cited by Nilson and Thorell
(2018), the term "cultural heritage" describes how modern society uses the past.
"Our cultural heritage" is a contemporary or postmodern reflection of the past
and contributes to shaping cultural stereotypes and regional identity. It is
frequently connected to historic city cores throughout Europe. It closely connects
to urban national parks, museums, and galleries in North America. It is also
connected to indigenous culture, identity, and landscape in Australia and New
Zealand.
In the island of Saint Louis', as per Martnez-Quintana and Cáceres-
Morales (2016), the current adverse economic and social climate makes it seem
unattainable to rejuvenate its cultural heritage. This is partly due to external

variables that are typical of Senegal's political structure and economics, as well
as to the progressive degeneration of the built urban heritage in an environment
with low economic activity, little investment in public utilities, a population
without resources, and little financial support for the renovation of currently
crumbling structures.
Additionally, Kafadar (2020), says that based on his current research,
entitled "Cultural Heritage in Social Studies Curriculum and Cultural Heritage
Awareness of Middle School Students," the majority of respondents stated that
through state protection, cultural heritage should be preserved, followed by
enabling it to live on, claiming it as a cultural root, remembering, warning, and
annunciating and raising awareness. They also stated that the cultural heritage
should be entitled to exist as it was inherited from ancestors, allows us to learn
about past events, reflects us, prevents us from forgetting the past, is our culture
and our history for the perpetuity of our state, and helps us learn about past
lessons. The respondents need to be made more aware of cultural heritage in
order to acknowledge their own and other cultures, as well as to pass along their
culture from one generation to the next through maintaining cultural heritage
components. Köse (2012), asserts that social life education should foster the
development of cultural sensitivity. Furthermore, education should cover the
aspects of cultural heritage, which are tangible and intangible.
Egoreichenko (2022), states that the heritage from previous generations,
European cultural history is a rich and varied mosaic of artistic and cultural
representations. It incorporates the knowledge, norms, and traditions of
European citizens as well as natural, architectural, and archaeological sites,
museums, works of art, monuments, historical cities, and literary, musical, and
multimedia works.
A significant portion of the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage
involves cultural sites from Europe. These include, for example, the Spanish art
of Flamenco dancing, French gastronomy, Belgian beer culture, falconry, etc.
Since intangible monuments can perish naturally, unlike tangible ones that can
be restored, the intangible heritage list aims to avert the extinction of local
cultures and increase the value of traditions and practices (Egoreichenko, 2022).
In 2017, a survey on cultural heritage was conducted through
Eurobarometer, and the results were; 73% of respondents live quite close to
cultural heritage sites, 51% frequently visit them, 68% believe that the presence
of a cultural heritage site can actually impact their vacation destination, 68%
would like to know and understand more about cultural heritage, and 84%
genuinely think that cultural heritage is substantial to them personally and for
the community as a whole (Eurobarometer Report 466, 2017).
As per Zhang and Jing (2022), a wave of the development of cultural
heritage resources and industrial transformation has been ignited by the
excavation and utilization of cultural heritage resources as well as the creation
and development of creative and cultural industries. Research is essential for

the advancement of cultural heritage resources and the domain of industrial
transformation in light of this issue.
Heritage Sites and Structure
The primary law protecting cultural heritage before the passage of
Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, was
Republic Act No. 4846, or the "Cultural Properties Preservation and Protection
Act," passed in 1966 amended by Presidential Decree No. 374. While this law did
not define "cultural heritage," it did define "cultural properties," "antiques,"
"National Cultural Treasures," and "Historical Sites," among others (Malilong-
Isberto, 2015). Moreover, it protects cultural and archaeological heritage.
Unfortunately, the laws defending cultural assets are still insufficient as they are
frequently seen as an afterthought. Construction work has often started and is
in progress or has already been finished before stakeholders become aware of
the culturally detrimental projects and the resulting public outrage.
Infrastructure development and renovation are essential components in
metropolitan areas and growing cities. New roads, railways, buildings,
subdivisions, and industrial complexes are constantly constructed and
refurbished to accommodate the needs of urban populations that are rapidly
increasing. Sadly, construction activities may destroy ancient sites (Mojarro,
2022).
Historic preservation efforts would show a sense of cultural identity.
Additionally, it is vital to protect collective memory, which facilitates links and

interactions between individuals. Moreover, the remodel usage of historic
structures must keep with the neighborhood's present ideals and satisfy the
general population. By giving individuals a location to engage with the historic
environment and thereby connect people, places, and time, an accessible historic
district fosters social inclusion and connection (Yung, Chan, & Xu 2014). Every
generation benefits from being reminded of the past's history by the presence of
old historical structures (Purwantiasning & Bahri, 2019). It is the responsibility
of heritage managers to ensure that cultural heritage is preserved correctly and
understood so that the general public and the academic community can fully
grasp its worth (Cleere, 2010).
Learn to understand and appreciate the significance of this cultural legacy
for each guest and the location's origin. Understanding this logic aids in
researching tourist behavior, improves destination management, and aids in
developing marketing plans for this kind of tourism by various public and
commercial organizations. (Menor-Campos & Pérez-Gálvez, 2020). The most
recent is the connection between tourism and heritage. Since it is vital to
recognize multiple categories of heritage tourists, embrace the notion that
heritage tourism is not merely everyone who visits heritage/cultural attractions
(Nguyen & Cheung, 2014).
The building of the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Bridge, which connects
Binondo and Manila, is a recent example. The San Agustin Church in Intramuros
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge crosses its buffer zone, which has
negative social, cultural, and environmental ramifications, including the

probable removal of the historic church from the UNESCO Heritage List. The
lack of awareness of the significance of our national cultural heritage at different
levels of society is one of the most considerable obstacles to the protection of
archaeological resources in the nation, as shown by the case above. Consistent
communication and cooperation across government organizations regarding the
best ways to protect cultural assets remain a significant obstacle (Mojarro,
2022).
Aesthetic value often reflects artistic skill or craftsmanship; they
communicate a message, symbolize religious faith, celebrate a state's victory or
success, honor a hero (or heroes), and remember tragedy or devastation.
Whatever their differences, monuments all share a few fundamental goals: to
educate, enlighten, and connect us to historical moments, customs, or
individuals in the hope that the past will continue to influence the present for
the development of humanity. In his rousing speech, William James
demonstrates how monuments carry principles that have the potential to touch
and move people, inspiring them to political commitment and even action. On
the one hand, the memorial strengthens our sense of connection to the past
because it is an actual item that experience in the present (Dupré, 2007, pp. 80–
85; Sypnowich, 2021).
To apply the leisure constraint theory and universal design principles to
the accessibility of historical tourist destinations for senior citizens. The main
obstacles include the following: (1) feeling uncomfortable, (2) exerting a lot of
effort to use the facilities, (3) feeling crowded, unclear or inadequate signs, and
(4) dirty public restrooms. These heritage sites' protected features and additional
amenities didn't adhere to the universal design standards. The elderly visitors
used a variety of constraint negotiating tactics to lessen the consequences of
limiting when faced with these hurdles. There are also suggestions for doable
actions that destination planners can do to improve heritage facilities' usability
after COVID-19 (Wan, Lo, & Eddy-U 2022).
Heritage defenders worry that the projected Pasig River Expressway
(PAREX), a 19.4-kilometer concrete blot on the city's already unstable
environment, would become Metro Manila's next major photobomber. The
Aduana Building, the Maestranza Walls, and Fort Santiago are a few of the
structures that are a part of the medieval walled city of Intramuros. Architect
and urban planner Paulo Alcazaren illustrated how PAREX's first segment alone
would damage several key heritage monuments in the metro (Lago, 2021).
Cultural heritage has been incorporated into the development plan
through the Sustainable Development Goals. However, several old
neighborhoods, including Manila, Philippines' Intramuros, are in danger due to
natural disasters. Pre-disaster recovery planning has become more popular as a
promising strategy to enhance disaster preparedness and recovery. Still, it has
not yet been broadly applied to the preservation of cultural assets. The pre-
disaster recovery planning session the authors organized allowed participants to
examine the Intramuros area's current disaster management program for artistic
treasures. Heritage specialists, disaster management, and the local community
were all given presentations on heritage values and vulnerability assessments

throughout the event (Florentin, Onuki, Esteban, Valenzuela, Paterno,
Akpedonu, & Garciano, 2022).
In conclusion, the process and outcomes in these sites for developing
international heritage policy. The concept of these annual meetings as "locales"
enables researchers to investigate the expert knowledge inflows that support
authoritative decision-making, how specialist knowledge is produced for and by
bureaucratic structure, and the implications of the interaction between politics
and technical knowledge through an "aesthetics of expertise" for future
directions. By providing such an analysis, we hope to enhance our grasp of global
conservation policy and the legislative and governmental processes of
institutions like UNESCO while providing gradation and conceptual depth
(James & Winter, 2017).
Viewership
Heritage sites and monuments have always been enjoyed by the public.
Viewership is defined to be an audience of a television or a program, associating
heritage culture with viewership can be broad and with that, it will be focusing
on visiting visitors. According to Beynon, Munday, and Roche (2018), heritage
tourism is often linked to visitations of tourists and that is a significant factor in
the developing economic processes. In line with this, it only means that in order
to boost the economic system there must be a good amount of audience who will
serve as the main ingredient.

From Tavano (2016), having a successful involvement in making
individuals participate in different forms of cultural activities will eventually lead
up to rewarding stable networks. Creating an area for the audience to experience
cultural tourism in the most pleasant way possible is the goal.
According to the study entitled “Engaging People with Cultural Heritage:
User’s Perspective” (2014), technology has taken over almost every aspect of our
lives nowadays, especially the younger generation. Their world now revolves
around technologies and social media, in line with this they are capable of using
technology as a way to share knowledge and understanding regarding cultural
heritage. Creating an enjoyable experience of cultural heritage is attainable with
the help of the adults of tomorrow and technology itself. Being able to see how
effective technology can be in being a bridge to appreciate and view cultural
heritage more is what the community needs to realize. Visiting different heritage
sites and engaging with them to become an audience and appreciate the cultural
values. But then it is also necessary to have proper visitor management.
From Ababneh, Darabseh, and White (2014), there are recommendations
given based on the findings of the visitor management’s applied approaches,
results of visitor monitoring, inadequate information, and subordinate
restriction actions. It was recommended that local heritage management and
managers should design and improve visitor management effectively and
efficiently. It is necessary to develop these approaches for the changes that will
be needed over time considering the visitor’s needs. Having smooth and hassle-
free visitor management will increase the number of visitor arrivals, and of
course, the visitors are the most important.
According to Piramanayagam and Seal (2020), the competitiveness of the
destination can be determined by the visitor’s attraction itself. There are three
significant factors of visitor attraction, first the natural and cultural attractions,
second the recreational facilities, and last the events. Being part of an audience
and having to participate will stimulate the trust and interactions between the
visitor and the management. Taheri (2018), stated that the visitors’ emotional
responses focus on the impact it creates between the locals and visitors. Creating
an emotional bond gives the visitors a source of comfort.
Focusing on the visitation of cultural heritage and how heritage tourism
positively impacts the economy will be the main points. How the visitors see
these cultural and historical sites will remain the main priority since the visitors
are the audience and are the fuel. It is evident that the visitors’ should always
experience a great image of the said cultural heritage sites, that is the success
that should be achieved every given time (Ismagilova & Safiullin, 2015).
Heritage Appreciation
Visitation of the heritage sites provide income from tourists. Aside from
that, prestige to the place, public knowledge, and the idea of saving the
irreplaceable. Countries work hard for the respective cultural properties such as
magnificent buildings, historic sites, wilderness, and others to be recognized by

UNESCO or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization and be included in the world heritage sites list (National
Geographic, 2018). In support of that, heritage appreciation helps shape the
identity as it is part of the country. That identity highlights the priorities and
values and shows it to others. It provides clues from the past and how the society
evolved through the years as part of tradition and history that enable the
development of awareness among the people. Understanding and be able to
explain why it is like that, the identity, is due to appreciation of the country’s
heritage (The Heritage Council, 2018).
Understanding also means appreciating, people value things as it became
understood. With valuing comes protection that leads to learning for more
information about heritage sites. Appreciation is a vital part of cultural heritage
as it is where the interest and learning begin. That continues to experience and
more exposure for the development and possible improvement (Battista, 2018).
Cultural heritage is what represents communities and societies, including
individuals and groups. It makes those involved unique and different as aligned
to the custom, religion, and culture (Bogdan, Chambre, Copolovici, Bungau,
Bungau, & Copolovici, 2022).
In more foreign context, regarding the valuing of the Swahili cultural
heritage in Kilwa, Tanzania, people that engage with the concept of heritage are
likely to associate in the protection of it due to personal ownership and the sense
of pride with the place or the country’s history. The idea or feeling of being
involved. Also, the interest in the past and the connection with the immaterial
matters like respect for the spirits and the ancestors (Ichumbaki & Pollard,
2019). Also, cultural heritage appreciation and national pride in identity has a
positive impact on the appreciation of people (Rottenbacher de Rojas, 2010).
People learn to appreciate with certain factors. One concept is that
appreciation is linked with aesthetics. Even with various fields, aesthetics being
multidisciplinary, it includes factors in tourism experience affecting the
judgment of tourists. Background information is related positively to the
judgment of people. Providing background information such as names, symbolic
meanings, documentaries, and processes improves appreciation (Liu, Zhang,
Shen, & Lu, 2022).
Aside from aesthetics, tourism experience could be influenced by
redesigning plans. In the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the heritage sites
with national monuments are ready for developments such as the concept of
tourist routes that will give maximum experience at the place. Connecting the
monuments together in a relaxing walk as exposed to various offerings of cuisine,
tradition, crafts, local habits, and others in the place like its history and folklore.
With this method, it increases the appreciation of the heritage site (Kudumovic,
2020).
With the mentioned ways to improve appreciation to heritage sites and
structures, giving of attention is a vital factor for teaching and learning of various
creative practices to be able to contribute in the sustenance of developments and
promotion of heritage (Kouhia & Rönkkö, 2020).
Practices for development are presented in many ways, one example is the
initiation of an oral history project at George Town, Penang, Malaysia which is
part of the multicultural UNESCO world heritage site. The project is to create
public awareness for appreciation of heritage (Musa & Feng, 2016). Additional
concept is the adaptive reuse, a positive behavior is found in the findings where
most tourists perceived the method influencing the level of appreciation of
historic buildings (Ariffin, Zahari, & Hanafiah, 2020). Also, proper lighting that
matches the site is a vital tool for right appreciation of the cultural heritage in
terms of historical value, it gives highlight to the visitor experience in properly
showing the authenticity of the site (Di Salvo, 2014).
Another is the study concerning the universal access to a heritage site in
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, India, various design solutions are presented. First is the
pre-visit information for visitors of the heritage site to be knowledgeable of the
place. Online websites are a great tool for this. Next is the interpretative
information that contains the things about the place itself. And the different
facilities found at the heritage site. These improve the appreciation and access
of visitors of the heritage site (Vardia, Khare, & Khare, 2018).
More tools are also introduced. Digital media and specifically hypermedia
have been used and found successful in supporting storytelling for learning
contexts. It showed that the tool used is effective in raising of the interest and
knowledge in cultural heritage objects (Baloian, Zurita, Pino, Peñafiel, & Luther,
2019). In a different study, another tool is proposed. A management tool that
can validate the tourism experiences relating to assets in cultural or heritage.
This is by recognizing the current state of tourist potential, determining its value
from the perception of the visitors, and identifying problematic aspects to be
considered for development (Ramírez-Guerrero, García-Onetti, Chica-Ruiz, &
Arcila-Garrido, 2021).
A lot of methods and practices for development and improvement are
initiated and done but heritage appreciation remains a problem in the current
days. An issue that creates damage to local heritage is the insufficiency of
community awareness and the non-involvement of people to having efforts in
local conservation in total. Properties are eventually abandoned by owners due
to deterioration and the shortage of resources for preservation. Such properties
are often not recognized as heritage structure for public funding and support in
the maintenance (Santos, 2021).
Despite that, local heritage appreciation is now given more attention. In
the study about active role of stakeholders, students, and teachers with urban
and built heritage concerning economic and cultural value. Problem-based
learning is an effective approach for the continuous interaction with
stakeholders, students, and teachers for improvement of economic and cultural
value. It is a method to increase awareness (Curto, Barreca, Coscia, Ferrando,
Fregonara, & Rolando, 2021). In the analysis concerning the awareness of

teachers in university level about cultural heritage, education is vital for handing
down of cultural values and the behavior of the society towards it, especially for
the youth. For better understanding, initiatives are introduced for cultural
heritage like the heritage city newspaper for frequent public awareness, heritage
awards that feature people annually, incorporation in children’s books for early
appreciation, and other methods (Srivastava, 2015).
In the local setting, with the article about history in the context of present
tense, only a few people appreciate history and the past. Heritage became
irrelevant for some. The Philippines has a lot of heritage structures and sites but
get overlooked and not receiving appreciation unlike those from other countries
that much attention is given. The main reason for lack of interest and
appreciation is ignorance due to knowledge in history is viewed to be for experts
and intelligent people only, when it is not since history is for everyone to know.
The four r’s are introduced to increase appreciation and make heritage and
history relevant and interesting. First is to read since learning would never stop.
Understanding is the root for appreciation, and factual information is readily
available online and with various platforms. Second is to relate by interacting
with people since not all information could be found in the book. The experiences
of the witnesses of the heritage can supply the learnings. Next is to revel where
traveling to the place for exposure is the best method for gaining information.
Lastly, rejoicing by being proud of the heritage and history of the place and the
country. Part of the celebrating the identity is the valuing and appreciation of
heritage (Manila Bulletin, 2022).
Heritage Preservation
Heritage is a product of a shared past and the foundation of a nation's
collective identity (Estonanto, Javier, Centeno, & Laquindanum, 2018). Heritage
can take many forms, including intangibles like memories, emotions, values, and
practices and tangible structures like sites, buildings, and landscapes. It can
also be used for various purposes, from fostering national development to
promoting specific locations. Nonetheless, the use of heritage occurs in multiple
contexts, and it portrays a significant value and relevance as a tool for political,
cultural, and business goals as well as educational and emancipatory ones
(Nilson & Thorell, 2018).
According to UNESCO (2021), heritage, as a source of identity, is essential
for strengthening local communities and actively allowing vulnerable groups to
engage in social and cultural life. Whereas, as Estonanto et al. (2018) added,
preserving heritage contributes to planning a better future by recognizing the
past. When appropriately maintained, heritage has the potential to exchange
knowledge, share experiences, and connect local communities to international
networks. Additionally, UNESCO provides a distinctive forum for international
collaboration and conversation through a comprehensive collection of

conventions on heritage, encouraging respect, appreciation, and understanding
between nations. The formulation of national policies for the conservation of
cultural assets, with a focus on preservation, management, and training, is
supported by legislative frameworks (UNESCO, 2021).
On the contrary, according to Yao and Han (2015), preserving urban
history is gathering steam in China as several historical sites are in danger due
to urban redevelopment. It has an influential part in organizing and guiding the
movement has been performed by a collection of well-known educators,
professionals, and artists. A significant urban renovation initiative was started
in Nanjing's ancient Qinhuai District in June 2006. Whereas, for real estate
developments, more than 200,000 square meters and 40 blocks across the
Qinhuai River, some of which date back to the Six Dynasties (AD 220-589), were
to be destroyed. Half of Nanjing's remaining historical district would vanish if
the proposal were to be executed. Thus, heritage preservation organizations
began to work to prevent it. They sent an open letter titled "The Urgent Appeal
to Preserve Nanjing's Historic District" in August 2006. It served as the
foundation for a sustained resistance effort that included the public and
preservationists being mobilized, media attention, petitions in the form of letters
to influential figures, and formalized proposals for legislation. Correspondingly,
the destruction of Old Nanjing gained not only the attention of the general people
but also that of the highest levels of the state. The Jiangsu Provincial
Government, as instructed by Premier Wen Jiabao, including the Ministry of

Commerce (MOC) and State Administration for Cultural Heritage (SACH) were
ordered to "investigate and address" the problem, and the State Council Office of
Legislative Affairs was tasked with "promptly formulating and publishing
preservation regulations of Historic Cities," in response to the appeal made on
October 17, 2006. As a result, the demolition was stopped.
Furthermore, five primary approaches introduced, through cultural elites,
manage relations between the state and society using various levels/sectors of
the state against one another in heritage preservation. First, "going to court,"
refers to the approach used by property owners to protect their rights through
administrative litigation or administrative review processes with the assistance
of cultural elites, notably attorneys and preservation professionals. This
approach relies on the legal avenues offered by the party-state. It is both a tool
and a means in and of itself because the legal procedure may persuade local
governments to alter their demolition plans and draw media and public attention
to the defense of property rights and historic preservation. Second, "media
supervision," this form of official media outlets provides an excellent platform for
protection where media organizations may get viewpoints from academia,
professionals, authorities, and residents. Based on those perspectives, they
produced in-depth reports on the difficulties, primarily the challenge of
preserving Old Nanjing. As a response, the municipal administration and the
national government both took the concern seriously and provided specific
preservation measures. This instance of a constructive engagement, as opposed

to a contentious encounter, demonstrates the benefits of improving governance
abilities and safeguarding the national cultural heritage. Third, "internal
reference," through 'written directions,' leaders express their thoughts on these
reports, which are subsequently forwarded to ministries, provinces, and
municipalities who perhaps solve the problems or pass the reports on to lower
levels until the leaders obtain satisfactory responses. Thus, in simple
understanding, the internal reference provides the authority to regulate local
governments. Fourth, "letter positioning" allows individuals to voice their ideas
on various issues, particularly heritage preservation, to government
representatives and agencies. Last, the "policy proposition" to successfully
advance heritage preservation refers to presenting policy proposals to
governmental agencies. Overall, it is represented by cultural elites in two
different ways, however, the first way that focuses on the research explains that
mediate interactions between the state and society by disseminating centralized
rules and policies to the general public and presenting popular opinion to
administration executives. They enlighten the public and local citizens using
strategies like "going to court" and "media supervision" to educate and equip
them with legal and policy guidance. Additionally, cultural elites gather public
opinion and convey it to various sectors and levels of the government through
"internal reference," "letter petitioning," and "policy proposition." Cultural elites
are able to make heritage preservation the common ground to achieve their goals,
even though the actors involved may have objectives other than heritage
preservation—for instance, residents are more concerned with their properties,

and the central government is more concerned with regime legitimacy and social
stability. In conclusion, this recognized the crucial function of cultural elites in
heritage preservation based on an examination of its strategies, including "going
to court," "media supervision," "internal reference," "letter petitioning," and
"policy proposition." In addition, in giving them access to more established
channels inside the regime, their role as an intermediary between the state and
society allows them to influence the media and the general public. They can
enhance cultural preservation by combining lesser influence with grassroots
mobilization (Yao & Han, 2015).
Moreover, understanding the cultural significance of heritage artifacts and
locations across the world aids in determining their need to be recognized and
the most appropriate level of legislative protection to preserve their value for
future generations, as mentioned by Attia, Maarouf, Taha, and Nassar (2020). It
will indeed illustrate the importance of cultural, political, social, and educational
principles to future generations if humans preserve the cultural history from the
dreadful era of slavery to colonialism and up to the present (Estonanto, Javier,
Centeno, & Laquindanum, 2018). Additionally, the aspirations, inferences, and
lifestyles of persons who created, lived or worked in historic community
structures, neighborhoods, and landscapes are embodied in them. For instance,
they may share narratives about the community's past and how it developed,
which provide light on human identity that in building a strong community can
benefit from the preservation of those stories. Nevertheless, preservation has an

impact on valuing heritage that is based on the notion that all historic elements,
materials, etc., will be maintained, restored, or preserved in their current
condition (University of Kansas, 2022). Thus, this means substantial evidence
that protecting cultural heritage is advantageous in many aspects of life. An
increasing number of individuals express concern regarding the connection
between cultural heritage preservation and fundamental societal problems such
as development, the environment, health, education, access to information, and
the economy (Estonanto, Javier, Centeno, & Laquindanum, 2018).
On the other hand, the overall policy-making body coordinating and
benefiting organizations for the preservation, advancement, and promotion of
Philippine arts and culture is the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA). The NCCA was established to act as the commission of the president's
inter-agency for integrating policies and initiatives in the cultural field. This
served as the foundation for the approach that the Senate and House of
Representatives implemented. Sustainable development is made possible by
identifying resources, community involvement, and value creation. Through
legislative protection, it becomes institutionalized. The conservation guideline is
a collection of technical requirements for location and its fabric that has been
prepared by experts and lawmakers for historical protection and acknowledged
by the community. Meanwhile, a heritage charter is a broadly accepted collection
of conservation principles, rules, and practices that the community and
conservation experts should follow. Heritage protection is based on values and

regulations that would protect its significance and direct the community in
making the most efficient utilization of it. For example, the Vigan Municipal
Ordinance No. 4, established in 2000 when Vigan was designated as a World
Heritage Site, is the most outstanding example of heritage legislation that serves
as a guideline. The requirements for the roof, walls, beams, flooring and other
architectural aspects have therefore been established for restoration projects. A
significant result of the cultural mapping research was the modification and
alteration of the Vigan Conservation enactments. The updated ordinance's key
provisions include defining conservation concepts, establishing a statement of
importance for all constructed historic projects, reestablishing the Vigan
Conservation Council, and allocating the city's annual heritage fund. (Estonanto,
Javier, Centeno, & Laquindanum, 2018).
In conclusion, Estonanto et al. (2018) inculcate a sense of responsibility
in the community, increasing commitment to seeing the project through to its
completion, as well as knowledge and involvement in the heritage preservation
process. In terms of implementation, the national government plays a significant
role in preserving heritage. The National Museum, the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
are three national government branches responsible for preserving and assisting
local governments with financing and technical expertise.
Heritage Integrity
Seeing old historical structures helps us take a glimpse of the past. The
Philippines' memories of Seeing old historical structures help us take a glimpse
of the past. In the Philippines, the memories of Philippine colonialism can be
seen through Spanish-era churches, stone houses, monuments, and other
historical sites throughout the country. Official heritage markers are placed on
visible areas of these structures' premises that communicate not only their
cultural and historical essence but also convey the message that such structures
must be conserved and protected from destruction. These heritage buildings are
important for their historical value as well as the soundness of their physical
integrity (Tantuico, 2020).
One example of a Spanish colonial city in the country is the Historic City
of Vigan, which is considered a World Heritage site. Property must have
outstanding universal value and satisfy at least one out of its ten criteria found
on the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage
Convention to be considered as a World Heritage site (WHC, 2022a). The World
Heritage Convention (WHC) inscribed Vigan in 1999 as it manifests a unique
combination of Asian building design and European colonial architecture and
planning (criterion ii), and its outstandingly intact and highly conserved
European trading town in East and South-East Asia" (criterion iv; WHC, 2022b).
Aside from meeting the criteria set by the World Heritage Committee, to consider
a property of outstanding universal value, it also needs to satisfy the conditions
of authenticity and/or integrity and must have sufficient safekeeping and

management practices to assure its protection. (Operational Guidelines, 2021,
para. 78).
Integrity refers to the wholeness and intactness of cultural and/or natural
heritage as well as its elements (para 87-88). Authenticity, as defined generally
in the Operational Guidelines, suggests that cultural values must be "truthfully
and credibly expressed through a variety of attributes" to maintain authenticity
(para. 82).
The Operational Guidelines (2021), contain three conditions to assess the
integrity of a site, specifically the property should: (1) include all elements
necessary to express its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), (2) be at adequate
size to ensure the complete representation of the features and processes which
convey the property's significance, and (3) suffers from adverse effects of
development and/or neglect. As early as 2005, the United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been using OUV to evaluate
world cultural heritage site suitability (Gullino & Larcher, 2013). UNESCO
defines the outstanding universal value as a cultural and/or natural property
that should be considered of international importance for the present and next
human generations (WHC, 2021). Wholeness means that all the necessary
elements are within the property, and intactness means that all the necessary
elements are still present—none eroded (Denyer, 2011; Khalaf, 2020). The report
of Denyer (2011) in Prague states that confusion happens at times between the
two concepts of authenticity and integrity. Hence creates a challenge in

determining and maintaining authenticity and integrity in cultural heritage sites,
as concepts have no distinct definitions and are open to different interpretations
in different cultural settings (Alberts & Hazen, 2010). Hence creates a challenge
in determining and maintaining authenticity and integrity in cultural heritage
sites, as concepts have no distinct definitions and are open to different
interpretations in different cultural settings (Alberts & Hazen, 2010).
The study by Khalaf (2020), proposes the concepts of compatibility and
continuity to become qualifying conditions of integrity. The third condition of
integrity could be eased by compatibility and continuity as the former can
prevent the "adverse effects of development," and the latter can prevent the
"adverse effects of neglect" from continuous monitoring and maintenance (para.
88). According to the Operational Guidelines (1983; as cited by Khalaf 2020), the
amendable correction by the human action threatens the integrity of the
property, as well as the cultural properties, both natural and human factor,
threaten the integrity of the cultural property. For instance, according to the
study of Asharif et al. (2019), one of the major threats to World Heritage
Properties is the uncontrolled urbanization of the cities. The conflict arises with
urban development and its heritage protection policies. In recognition of the
impact of urbanization and development on the integrity and authenticity of the
World Heritage sites, a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) has been established
in consideration of the characteristics and qualitative values of the World
Heritage properties. Heritage Impact Assessment is a tool that links the demands
of urban development and heritage conservation. Additionally, HIA is designed
to arrange a new assessment tool that facilitates cultural heritage conservation
within the broader sustainable development policies. Thus, to review and explore
the essence of Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), a comparative analysis of the
various world heritage sites such as Meidan Emam of Esfahan in Iran, Cologne
Cathedral of Cologne in Germany, Golestan Palace of Tehran in Iran, and Historic
Centre of Vienna in Austria has been conducted to show the corresponding
conflicts of each World Heritage sites.
Authenticity and integrity serve as guiding concepts to determine a
systematic approach to preserving heritage sites. By understanding the criteria
of authenticity and integrity, the state parties and site managers will be guided
as to which preservation approaches they should implement and which concrete
measures they should execute to maintain a site's OUV (Alberts & Hazen, 2010).
It is essential to consider these concepts since there is a need to balance the
needs and goals of multiple stakeholders, and preservation approaches should
not be harmful to heritage sites. Authenticity and integrity are significant as it
comprises all tangible and intangible elements that are interconnected to
cultural continuity, which connects the past to the present and links the
individual parts to the whole of a cultural heritage site (Wang, Huang, & Kim,
2015).
Community Involvement
Communities benefit by knowing more about the advantages of World
Heritage sites and how their involvement with the site is essential to preserving
and passing on the site's Outstanding Universal Value to future generations. To
fully utilize the creative process' potential, the organization that promotes the
creation of creative works invests in the human development of its stakeholders,
supports their goods, and develops the industry will enable and support the
agents of creativity. It will give the proper credit where credit is due. Contribution
of the community and other parties involved in heritage and creativity to the
social and economic life of the country. Cultural heritage indicates a connection
between us and a sense of community. It speaks for our identity, history, and
connection to the past, present, and future (Promoting Philippine Culture and
Values, 2017).
Additionally, they are more inclined to support efforts to preserve
additional World Heritage sites. One strategy for involving the community in
World Heritage is through ethical and sustainable tourism (World Heritage in the
Community - DCCEEW, 2021). The UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable
Tourism Program is an innovative strategy built on dialogue and stakeholder
collaboration, where destination-level tourism and heritage management
planning is integrated, natural and cultural resources are valued, protected, and
community-specific tourism is developed.
Social inclusion and equity require cultural awareness. Building better
relationships for interpersonal cohesiveness is required to strengthen the social
fabric in order to create a high-trust society. Culture has many aspects, and it
plays a part in many different sectors of development. Therefore, it is considered
that culture is one of the foundations for achieving inclusive, sustainable, and
human-centered development. Through historic laws that established cultural
bodies with specific missions, the government has continuously acknowledged
the value of culture in the growth of the country (Promoting Philippine Culture
and Values, 2017).
According to Yeşilbursa (2013), to put it another way, tangible cultural
heritage includes buildings and other material items that symbolize a
civilization's material culture, whereas intangible cultural heritage includes
people, customs, and the spiritual culture of the society that it represents.
intangible cultural heritage is "heritage that derives its meaning from people
rather than inanimate objects.
A standard mode of collaborative production is community governance. To
promote the community's public interests in the governance process, the
government, the general public, and other organizations reflect the community's
public demands through open dialogue, equal participation, and collective
consultation based on identity awareness.
Community government strongly emphasizes local involvement, calls for
collective effort and promotes collaboration. However, the establishment of smart
communities, a crucial component of community government, was overly
administered during the implementation phase (Research on the Influencing
Factors of Sustainable Development of Smart, 2022).

Through historical laws that established cultural bodies with specific
missions, the government has continuously acknowledged the value of culture
in the growth of the country. However, conflicting clauses in several pieces of
legislation make it difficult to carry out cultural programs. Existing laws include
provisions that address the preservation and safeguard of cultural heritage as
well as the protection, acknowledgment, and empowerment of other cultures
(Promoting Philippine Culture and Values, 2017). Yet, violations are not
prosecuted. This issue centers on the unethical and exploitative removal of
knowledge, abilities, and practices from native cultural groups or local
knowledge repositories.
Heritage management necessitates encouraging community involvement
and emphasizing that cultural heritage is a social good to realize its potential as
a social service (Cultural Psychology, Social Identity, and Community
Engagement in World Heritage Conservation, 2022). The term "community
involvement in heritage management" does not imply that the general public or
local inhabitants should have complete authority over preserving historic places.
In reality, residents do not necessarily need to see involvement this way. By
"community participation," we mean working together as a group to further the
welfare of an individual, accomplish shared objectives, and enhance the
neighborhood.
Consequently, laws, regulations, and plans of action concerning world
heritage. Properties should safeguard OUV, assist in the wider preservation of
natural and cultural heritage, and encourage community involvement and

stakeholder engagement as important prerequisites for the long-term
preservation, management, and display of the property (UNESCO World Heritage
Centre, 2015).
Government Involvement
All governments and societies have faced difficulties in preserving ancient
heritage. Many heritage sites have been recognized in the Philippines; however,
as the world becomes more modernized, many of the heritage sites have been
impacted by development. Cultural heritage preservation is tied to the city's
economy, with tourism being a significant aspect. Heritage tourism is among the
fastest-growing segments of the tourism industry (Ashworth & Tunbridge, 2000;
Timothy, 2011). According to Petrova and Hristov (2016), co-operation bounded
by the Local Authority and national bodies can benefit the locality as it can
economically boost cultural and heritage tourism development.
There are existing laws in the Philippines on preserving and protecting
heritage sites. However, it is not very broad and covers other issues that can
affect heritage sites, particularly the sightline. Making the amended cultural
heritage law requires a lengthy process to make a new one fully.
Local governments are responsible for funding culture and cultural
heritage to protect and maintain the quality of a heritage site. The local
government unit should pass an ordinance that imposes penalties on any
incorporations and businesses obstructing cultural heritage sites' view and

sightline. Seeing as communities play such an important role, local communities
should collaborate with the regional government to comply with every policy and
guideline established by the government. Including local perspectives in cultural
heritage, management must understand what people identify as their vital
cultural environments (Stenseke, 2001; 2009). Many cultural heritage sites
struggle to preserve their cultural heritage due to a lack of government budget
and funding.
The preservation of Crisologo Street in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, is an excellent
example of a community working with their government to manage their heritage
site. According to local citizens, their local government unit (LGU) always ensures
the place's cleanliness and comprises various groups managing the heritage site.
In order to preserve ancestral heritage, the Vigan LGU has its council called the
"Vigan Restoration Council." The local community also abides by the LGU.
Because of its good management with such limited resources and community
participation, Vigan was chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage in "Best Practice
and Conservation Management." (Estonanto, Javier, Centeno, & Laquindanum,
2019).
Local governments are accountable for improving their communities'
socioeconomic, economic, physical, and cultural well-being, as well as their
participation in tourism and heritage sites. According to Aser B. Javier, Ph.D.,
and Dulce B. Elazigue, LGU should build commitments in terms of awareness
raising, planning, and relationships in heritage sites. The Tourism Act of 2009
(Republic Act No. 9593), the act calls for the creation of a national tourism action
plan for national and local governments to implement, with the participation of
local communities, including indigenous peoples, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), people's organizations (POs), and the private sector. It also
focuses on the growth of local authority functionality in the management of local
tourism projects and initiatives, together with private ownership, as well as the
establishment of tourism enterprise zones (TEZs).

SYNTHESIS
According to the researchers’ review of related literature, it consists of
various local and foreign literatures and studies concerning the values of
heritage sites and structures. It focused on eight variables that discussed the
totality of the study and how it all comes together.
The sum of all tangible and intangible elements comprises cultural
heritage. Things like memories, feelings, ideals, and practices constitute the
intangible component of cultural heritage (Nilson & Thorell, 2018). The
knowledge, works, beliefs, structures, and customs that have been handed down
from one generation to the next and have shaped the society to which they belong
are reflected in these items (Karadeniz, 2020). Maintaining our cultural heritage
is essential to preserving our sense of identity (U.S Embassy Manila, 2021).
Another aspect of cultural heritage is tangible things which are sites, buildings,
and landscapes also known as heritage sites and structures (Nilson & Thorell,
2018).
Heritage sites are cultural and natural sites. In heritage sites, there is
frequently a significant emphasis on preservation, sometimes to the cost of
contemporary use. Since its focus is on preservation, heritage management does
not often utilize the complete set of tools at the site level (Grimwade & Carter
2010). In order to ensure the conservation and management of world heritage
sites, of the category of mixed and cultural sites, in the Philippines, the
appropriate cultural agency shall work closely with the United Nations
Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National
Commission of the Philippines (LawPhil, 2010). Heritage sites and structures are
much appreciated by the public wherein the following variable comes in which
is viewership. These sites and structures are a feast for the public’s eye but as
time goes by the appreciation of them becomes lesser. Being an audience to these
historic sites also means having responsibility in taking care of and creating
more awareness about it. It is evident that the visitors’ should always experience
a great image of the said cultural heritage sites, that is the success that should
be achieved every given time. (Ismagilova & Safiullin, 2015)
With visitation comes appreciation. Understanding also means
appreciating, people value things as it became understood. With valuing comes
protection that leads to learning for more information about heritage sites.
Appreciation is a vital part of cultural heritage as it is where the interest and
learning begin. That continues to experience and more exposure for the
development and possible improvement (Battista, 2018). A lot of methods and
practices for development and improvement are initiated and done for heritage
sites and structures (Santos, 2021). On the other hand, in maintaining the
heritage of a nation this enables us to envision a better future by acknowledging
the past, as Estonanto et al. (2018) emphasized. Wherein, heritage has the
capacity to communicate information, share experiences, and connect local
communities to international networks when it is properly preserved. Thus
UNESCO (2021), provides a unique platform for cross-cultural communication

and cooperation through a comprehensive framework of heritage-related norms,
fostering respect, appreciation, and worldwide understanding. Legislative
frameworks help with the development of national policies for the protection of
cultural assets, with an emphasis on preservation, administration, and training.
Additionally, UNESCO also mentioned that in order to develop local communities
and actively encourage vulnerable groups to participate in social and cultural
life, heritage, as a source of identity, is fundamental (UNESCO, 2021). With that,
the concept of continuity, proposed by Khalaf (2020), can help maintain the
heritage sites’ wholeness and intactness. However, continuity alone cannot
prevent the adverse effects of development and neglect. Thus, change has to be
compatible. Compatibility can mitigate the adverse effects of development, while
continuity can mitigate the adverse effects of neglect. Cooperatively, continuity
and compatibility can help conserve and maintain the heritage sites in good
condition. On the other hand, authenticity and integrity serve as guiding
concepts to determine a systematic approach to preserving heritage sites. By
understanding the criteria of authenticity and integrity, the state parties and site
managers will be guided as to which preservation approaches they should
implement and which concrete measures they should execute to maintain a site's
OUV (Alberts & Hazen, 2010).
Lastly, heritage conservation is more than just preserving history; a good
heritage conservation plan includes all aspects of a region's heritage, including
historical, natural, and cultural resources. It mandates community participation

and involvement with the government to have active community participation
and involvement in all aspects of its development and implementation. Local
government units should collaborate with the national government to secure
funding from Planning Boards, the Department of Tourism, and Metro Manila
for traffic management, infrastructure, waste collection, area plans and rules for
future development, and any other actions needed to safeguard heritage sites
(Srinivas, 2015).
CHAPTER 3
Methods and Procedures
In this study, the researcher used the descriptive research method to
gather accurate data and interpret the studies. The study's primary purpose was
to determine the respondents' level of awareness. In this chapter, it presents the
methods and procedures to be used in conducting the study. It includes the
method used, description of the respondents, sampling technique, validation of
instruments, and the statistical tools applied in the analysis of data.
Method of Research
According to Calderon (2008), as cited by Alberto et al. (2011), the
descriptive method is also known as statistical research. It describes data and
characteristics of the population or phenomenon being studied. This research
method is frequently used for frequencies, averages, and other statistical
calculations. Often the best approach before writing descriptive research is
conducting a survey investigation. The descriptive method characteristics were
used to determine the respondents' level of awareness on the values of heritage
sites and the proposed Anti-Photobombers Bill.
According to AECT, "Descriptive research does not fit neatly into the
definition of either quantitative or qualitative research methodologies, but
instead, it can utilize elements of both, often within the same study. Descriptive
research refers to the type of research question, design, and data analysis
applied to a given topic." The type of question the researcher asked determined
the process needed to complete an accurate result on the topic.
The study made use of a descriptive type of research because the
researcher focused on seeking an answer to “what is”. Based on the result of the
descriptive studies about the subject, it developed an inclination of conducting
further studies on such a topic.
Respondents of the Study
The researchers identified the population of citizens of the City of Manila
that aims to get 50 respondents which are both male and female residents in the
said city. Intending to answer the survey questionnaires that focus on the level
of awareness on the values of heritage sites and the proposed anti-photobombers
bill were determined.
Sampling Technique
The chosen sampling technique for the study was Convenience sampling
which is defined to be a non-probability sampling method where respondents are
selected due to their accessibility. The researchers of this study conducted
convenience sampling wherein the respondents were timely and approachable.
The researchers believe that the selected respondents could be able to
provide the needed data for the study. It is chosen based on the criterion below.
The criteria used in the determination of respondents of this study were the
following:
1. Members of the community who are particular about the area.
2. Visitors who already visited heritage sites and structures.
Data Gathering Techniques
The researchers used the survey questionnaire to gather data and
information to find out the respondents’ level of awareness on the values of
heritage sites and the proposed anti-photobombers bill.
Documentary analysis was used as an additional technique to gather
information. Published and unpublished dissertations, circulars, books,
handbooks, periodicals and research journals were pursued to gain an intensive
background of the values of heritage sites and the proposed anti-photobombers
bill.
Instruments Used
In order for the researchers to garner information and to justify the scope
of the study, certain research instruments were used.
Questionnaire - It is the key tool used by researchers to collect data. It is
a set of questions relating to a specific topic. The researchers used a 4-point
Likert scale, it is significantly easier for respondents to comprehend and create

better data distributions. One set of questionnaires was prepared by the
researchers and tested for 50 respondents.
This was utilized by the researchers to assess the level of awareness about
the importance of heritage sites as well as the effectiveness of the proposed Anti-
Photobombers Bill.
The 4-likert scale was used to make the responses more comprehensible
to the respondents. Scales and descriptions were used to help analyze the data
gathered from the respondents.
POINT VERBAL INTERPRETATION LIKERT SCALE INTERVAL
1 FNA - FULLY NOT AWARE 1.00 - 1.74
2 NA - NOT AWARE 1.75 - 2.49
3 A-AWARE 2.50 - 3.24
4 FA- FULLY AWARE 3.25 - 4.00
Validation of the Instrument
Validation of Questionnaire. The draft of the questionnaire was presented
to the adviser. After receiving comments, the researchers took the suggestions
and proposals to improve the instrument into consideration.

Statistical Treatment of Data
In order to answer the specific problems logically, and scientifically, the
following statistical tools were employed:
1. Frequency. It is a tabular representation of the data from the survey or
questionnaire that is used to organize and summarize the data (Lavrakas,
Frequency Distribution, 2008).
2. Percentage. It is a particularly useful method of expressing the relative
frequency of survey responses and other data.
Getting the percentage:
Identify the total number of data to be presented; then count the
total number of observations within each data, and lastly divide the
number of observations within each data by the total number of
observations.
𝒏
Formula: % = × 𝟏𝟎𝟎
∑𝒏
3. Mean - It is the average you are used to, where you add up all the numbers
and then divide by the number of trials.
Formula:
∑𝒙
̅=
𝒙
𝒏
Likert-Scale – It use fixed choice response formats and are designed to
measure attitudes or opinions. These ordinal scales measure levels of
agreement/disagreement. A Likert-type scale assumes that the
strength/intensity of experience is linear, fully aware to fully not aware, and
makes the assumption that attitudes can be measured.

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ATM 4990 - TOURISM RESEARCH

LEVEL OF AWARENESS ON THE VALUES OF HERITAGE SITES AND THE

PROPOSED ANTI PHOTOBOMBERS BILL

Presented to the Faculty of the

Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management

University of the East – Manila

In partial fulfillment of the

Requirement for the Degree of

Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management

Barretto, Adriene Nicole R.

The Problem and Its Background

The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, otherwise known as Republic

strives to safeguard, preserve, conserve, and promote cultural heritage

properties, histories, and the ethnicity of local communities; develop and

enhance cultural institutions; and protect cultural workers by ensuring its

professional advancement and well-being (Official Gazette, 2010).

As amended in Article XIII Section 48 of Republic Act No. 10066,

Representative Lagman's House Bill No. 102, expressly prohibits any

any national shrine, monument, landmark, or other historical institution (House

of Representatives House Bills and Resolutions, 2019).

Sightline Act" was introduced by Representatives Lagman and Romulo in

of immovable cultural property through sight. It could have been caused by

temporary or permanent; reversible or irreversible; positive or beneficial relating

to rehabilitative or compatible; or adverse relating to detractive or incompatible

viewing corridor, focal dominance, and skyline (House of Representatives House

by Bajo (GMA News, 2021).

The latest advancements, as mentioned by Cabanban occurred with the

appreciation for national historical monuments, shrines, as well as other

by real estate developers within its respective jurisdictions. Therefore, Rep.

prosper into law (Manila Bulletin, 2022).

In his explanation, Lagman mentioned the contentious Torre De Manila

condominium, an 870-meter-tall building that towers over the Rizal Monument

in Luneta Park, Manila, as a photobomber (House of Representatives House Bills

and Resolutions, 2022).

The Torre de Manila dispute began in 2012 when the government

organization of Manila Zoning Board of Adjustments and Appeals (MZBAA)

granted DMCI Project Develop Incorporated, a subsidiary of Consunji-led DMCI

Holdings, zoning permission for the condominium's development. Carlos

Lim rejected the council resolution preventing the condominium's development

the online petition opposing the building's construction. Therefore, City

Councilor Bagatsing overturned Lim's decision to reject the resolution in

city, because the building's construction had violated zoning regulations

regarding the floor area ratio and height restrictions within a

university/institution cluster zone wherein the decision temporarily halted the

development on the condominium, according to Medina (Philippine Daily

The following year, Knights of Rizal, along with counterpart organization

de Manila's development must be stopped as it is obstructing the view of the

landmarks in the nation (Philippine Inquirer, 2015).

In orienting the Philippines toward upholding the nation's heritage, the

declaration of policy mentioned in the 1987 Constitution Article XIV Section 15

popularization of the country's cultural and historical heritage, including the

State. Additionally, defend historical monuments, shrines, and landmarks

against development aggression and profit-driven encroachment to respect the

in its history (House of Representatives House Bills and Resolutions, 2022).

Background of the Study

The controversial case of the Torre de Manila condominium, located in the

D. M. Consunji Inc. is a leading engineering-based integrated construction

company in the Philippines founded by Eng. David M. Consunji, in 1954 has

operated for about 65 years as the contractor behind the successful

infrastructure, buildings, utilities, and plants (DMCI, n.d.). As a subsidiary of

the Philippines (DMCI Holdings, n.d.).

In 2014, Senator Pia Cayetano questioned DMCI about why they