No Conservation For Heritage
Saturday, July 7, 2012
How many are the heritage infrastructure in Metro Manila that Heritage Conservationists wanted to preserved yet was ordered to demolish?
According to reports there are at least Four Manila’s heritage structures or Four Binondo Houses that are doom to destruction or demolishment which heritage conservationists wanted to stop wherein they send letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim for the stoppage of the demolition of the Four Binondo Houses or heritage structures or the Four Ancestral Manila heritage Binondo Houses. Moreover, the Heritage Conservation Society or HCS have not only received reports about the ongoing demolition of the four ancestral Binondo houses which they will try to halt but have also received that the old GSIS building or the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall is planned to be demolish as was in the first quarter of the year there are already two significant Manila heritage structures that has been demolished, that is the Meralco Building and Laperal Apartments.
“It has come to our attention that four heritage houses in Binondo (three of them beside each other at 529 Elcano Street; and one at the corner of Jaboneros and Camba Streets) are being demolished. Aside from being built during the Spanish colonial period and surviving the Second World War, the details of the said houses may be architecturally significant. This adds to the long list of demolitions in the City of Manila just in the first half of the year, most significant of which are the Meralco Building and Laperal Apartments, and the news of the planned demolition of the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall…” – Letter of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
However, in the reports in the Philippine Daily Inquirer the letter of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) is dated May 8,2012 but on the letter posted by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) on their facebook like page, it is dated May 18,2012.
“..In a May 8 letter to Lim, the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) said the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 10066) states that the modification or demolition of properties aged 50 years old and above needs the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)…” Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reports.
According to Republic Act No.10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,before these Four Binondo Manila heritage houses and structure(old GSIS building, as well the like buildings of Meralco Building and Laperal Building) could be demolish or modified it should be consented first to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts(NCCA) as well as to Heritage Conservation Society if ever Four Binondo Manila heritage house and structures should be demolish or not; it should have the approval and evaluation first of the latter commission and society. Not only these Four Binondo Manila heritage houses which was doom to be demolish without the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and with the Heritage Conservation Society but also the rest of all the considered heritage sites not only in or within Metro Manila but also within the entire Philippines should be consented to National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) before they could be touched for modification or demolition.
“ We would like to remind your good office of Republic Act No. 10066 – National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Section 5 states that modification or demolition of properties at least 50 years and older need the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). That means that this year, buildings built in 1962 or earlier are protected by law and that the NCCA needs to evaluate its significance first before a permit (to demolish) is granted, if ever it is granted,” stated by Heritage Conservation Society vice president Ivan Henares which is also a travel writer and tourism consultant.
In concurrences to the vice president of Heritage Conservation Society Ivan Henares, the Heritage Conservation Society president Gemina Cruz Araneta which is a former tourism secretary wherein Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim appointed as cultural adviser, is of course also against the demolition of not only the old GSIS building as well as also any heritage sites and structures in the Philippines.
The campaign to save the Four Binondo Manila Heritage houses and the old GSIS building or the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall has said to be gone online through e-mail and facebook by a Philippine Daily Inquirer contributor or writer.
“…The campaign to save the structure has also gone online through an e-mail drive and a Facebook page…” But to my research there is none campaign on facebook concerning such campaign to stop the demolition of these Four Binondo Manila heritage houses as well as the old Government Service Insurance System(GSIS) building on the Aroceros Street, Ermita Manila as well as to the “..four heritage houses in Binondo (three of them beside each other at 529 Elcano Street; and one at the corner of Jaboneros and Camba Streets)..” which the Philippine Daily Inquirer writer erroneously reports to be three houses.
“In its letter to Lim, the HCS also said it had received word that old structures in Binondo, particularly a house on 529 Elcano St., and another on Jaboneros corner Camba streets, were also being demolished…‘Aside from being built during the Spanish colonial period and surviving the Second World War, the details of these houses may be architecturally significant,’” stated by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS)”..PDI reports
However, it is just a mere “like” page of fan page on facebook with post links on the articles like the article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer and their letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim as well as link to Republic Act No. 10066 – National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 have just 1,211 likes which of smaller quantity or volume to hold a campaign drive whatsoever the writer on the Philippine Daily Inquirer claim to be which these likes can only be on the past and not in concurrence to the current complaint received by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) regarding the ongoing demolition activities of the four heritage Binondo houses in Manila.
For if there is a online campaign drive to stop the demolition of these deem Manila heritage structures, how come on latest news these ancestral houses in Binondo are on the state of being demolish without the consent of Heritage Conservation Society and by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) or they are not considered or deem to be heritage structure or officially deem cultural heritage houses, even though the Heritage Conservation Society deem their designs both exterior and interior as to be considered of greater value to the culture heritage of the Philippines because they are being built during Spanish colonial period and has survived according to Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) Second World War or short they are not in protection of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) which the heritage society should protected all those deem by its society as National Heritage with guards on it, how come the demolition team could touch it anyway if they are already considered or deem National Heritage by the Heritage Conservation Society or HCS but yet they are on the haste to halt the demolition operation of the four houses for they send letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim?
The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) has personally admitted that the Binondo houses are already on the state of being demolish but the old Government Service Insurance System(GSIS) building which was build or rather design by famous Filipino architect Federico Ilustre who has designed not only the old Government Service Insurance System(GSIS) building but also some important or of great value infrastructures in the Philippines like the Manila International Airport, Philippine College of Commerce and Quezon Memorial Monument is not yet on the process demolition state without their consent for the Metro Manila Mayor Afredo Lim has issued a permit to demolish them.
“..Obviously, buildings built during the Spanish and American colonial periods are covered by this law. And it is bewildering how your local building official has been issuing these permits for prewar heritage without the written approval of the NCCA. As we all know, “Ignorance of the law excuses no one.” Or as the good mayor puts it, “The law applies to all, otherwise, none at all!” In Manila’s case, looks like it’s none at all.
There is a process that must be followed before a demolition permit is granted. This process is in place to help protect the last remaining significant heritage structures in our nation’s capital…”
According to reports there are at least Four Manila’s heritage structures or Four Binondo Houses that are doom to destruction or demolishment which heritage conservationists wanted to stop wherein they send letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim for the stoppage of the demolition of the Four Binondo Houses or heritage structures or the Four Ancestral Manila heritage Binondo Houses. Moreover, the Heritage Conservation Society or HCS have not only received reports about the ongoing demolition of the four ancestral Binondo houses which they will try to halt but have also received that the old GSIS building or the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall is planned to be demolish as was in the first quarter of the year there are already two significant Manila heritage structures that has been demolished, that is the Meralco Building and Laperal Apartments.
“It has come to our attention that four heritage houses in Binondo (three of them beside each other at 529 Elcano Street; and one at the corner of Jaboneros and Camba Streets) are being demolished. Aside from being built during the Spanish colonial period and surviving the Second World War, the details of the said houses may be architecturally significant. This adds to the long list of demolitions in the City of Manila just in the first half of the year, most significant of which are the Meralco Building and Laperal Apartments, and the news of the planned demolition of the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall…” – Letter of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.
However, in the reports in the Philippine Daily Inquirer the letter of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) is dated May 8,2012 but on the letter posted by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) on their facebook like page, it is dated May 18,2012.
“..In a May 8 letter to Lim, the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) said the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 10066) states that the modification or demolition of properties aged 50 years old and above needs the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)…” Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) reports.
According to Republic Act No.10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,before these Four Binondo Manila heritage houses and structure(old GSIS building, as well the like buildings of Meralco Building and Laperal Building) could be demolish or modified it should be consented first to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts(NCCA) as well as to Heritage Conservation Society if ever Four Binondo Manila heritage house and structures should be demolish or not; it should have the approval and evaluation first of the latter commission and society. Not only these Four Binondo Manila heritage houses which was doom to be demolish without the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and with the Heritage Conservation Society but also the rest of all the considered heritage sites not only in or within Metro Manila but also within the entire Philippines should be consented to National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) before they could be touched for modification or demolition.
“ We would like to remind your good office of Republic Act No. 10066 – National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Section 5 states that modification or demolition of properties at least 50 years and older need the consent of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). That means that this year, buildings built in 1962 or earlier are protected by law and that the NCCA needs to evaluate its significance first before a permit (to demolish) is granted, if ever it is granted,” stated by Heritage Conservation Society vice president Ivan Henares which is also a travel writer and tourism consultant.
In concurrences to the vice president of Heritage Conservation Society Ivan Henares, the Heritage Conservation Society president Gemina Cruz Araneta which is a former tourism secretary wherein Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim appointed as cultural adviser, is of course also against the demolition of not only the old GSIS building as well as also any heritage sites and structures in the Philippines.
The campaign to save the Four Binondo Manila Heritage houses and the old GSIS building or the GSIS Headquarters right next to Manila City Hall has said to be gone online through e-mail and facebook by a Philippine Daily Inquirer contributor or writer.
“In its letter to Lim, the HCS also said it had received word that old structures in Binondo, particularly a house on 529 Elcano St., and another on Jaboneros corner Camba streets, were also being demolished…‘Aside from being built during the Spanish colonial period and surviving the Second World War, the details of these houses may be architecturally significant,’” stated by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS)”..PDI reports
However, it is just a mere “like” page of fan page on facebook with post links on the articles like the article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer and their letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim as well as link to Republic Act No. 10066 – National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 have just 1,211 likes which of smaller quantity or volume to hold a campaign drive whatsoever the writer on the Philippine Daily Inquirer claim to be which these likes can only be on the past and not in concurrence to the current complaint received by the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) regarding the ongoing demolition activities of the four heritage Binondo houses in Manila.
For if there is a online campaign drive to stop the demolition of these deem Manila heritage structures, how come on latest news these ancestral houses in Binondo are on the state of being demolish without the consent of Heritage Conservation Society and by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) or they are not considered or deem to be heritage structure or officially deem cultural heritage houses, even though the Heritage Conservation Society deem their designs both exterior and interior as to be considered of greater value to the culture heritage of the Philippines because they are being built during Spanish colonial period and has survived according to Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) Second World War or short they are not in protection of the Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) which the heritage society should protected all those deem by its society as National Heritage with guards on it, how come the demolition team could touch it anyway if they are already considered or deem National Heritage by the Heritage Conservation Society or HCS but yet they are on the haste to halt the demolition operation of the four houses for they send letter to Metro Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim?
The Heritage Conservation Society (HCS) has personally admitted that the Binondo houses are already on the state of being demolish but the old Government Service Insurance System(GSIS) building which was build or rather design by famous Filipino architect Federico Ilustre who has designed not only the old Government Service Insurance System(GSIS) building but also some important or of great value infrastructures in the Philippines like the Manila International Airport, Philippine College of Commerce and Quezon Memorial Monument is not yet on the process demolition state without their consent for the Metro Manila Mayor Afredo Lim has issued a permit to demolish them.
“..Obviously, buildings built during the Spanish and American colonial periods are covered by this law. And it is bewildering how your local building official has been issuing these permits for prewar heritage without the written approval of the NCCA. As we all know, “Ignorance of the law excuses no one.” Or as the good mayor puts it, “The law applies to all, otherwise, none at all!” In Manila’s case, looks like it’s none at all.
There is a process that must be followed before a demolition permit is granted. This process is in place to help protect the last remaining significant heritage structures in our nation’s capital…”
