City Wants Clarity on Declared Historical Sites
May 9, 2015
BAGUIO CITY – The improvement of Baguio City Hall grounds is still on-going despite opposition.
Said project is being pursued based on the list of historic sites and structures installed with historical markers from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) that only the City Hall building and not the grounds that was declared as such on September 2, 2009.
In the executive-legislative meeting last Monday, mayor Mauricio Domogan requested the city council to immediately pass a resolution requesting the National Commission for Culture and Arts and the various cultural agencies to coordinate with the city government before declaring a place as historical and cultural heritage sites in the city of Baguio in order to clear out confusion in the city government here.
“We are not opposing the declaration of historical sites in the city, but we have to follow what is required under Republic Act 10066,” said Domogan
Councilor Peter Fianza, who chairs the Committee on Education, Culture and Historical Research, said that on 2009, city hall has been marked as heritage building and has tried to look into an official document to support the declaration of the City Hall Building as a heritage site but found none.
Fianza also stressed the importance of recognizing the interest of the Local Government Units (LGUs), hence, there is a need for consultation with the NHCP.
He believes that marked structure/site is only a recognition while declaration as historical needs a resolution. There must be distinction between marked heritage site and that of a declared heritage site.
Domogan pointed out that City Hall building was declared under the old law. However, under R.A. 10066, the city government did not comply with the requisites in declaring the city hall building as historical site because there was no public hearing and there was no resolution of the city government for the declaration of the city hall building.
So as to be clarified with the various concerns of the city regarding declaration of heritage sites, the city council passed a proposed resolution requesting the NCCA and various cultural agencies attached to said office to coordinate with the city government of Baguio for its information and guidance before the declaration as historical and cultural heritage sites any place, location, or building in the city of Baguio./ Jho Arranz
