The Scop e an d Limitations of Legal Instruments on
Cultural Prop erty in the World Heritage
City of Vi gan, Philippines
Yahaya A hmad Department of Archi tecture Faculty of the Built Environment
University of Malaya
Ab stract
The World He ritage C ity of Vtgnn. Ph ilippinesW<l Sinscribed in the list of Wo rld Heritage Sites
in 1999 under criteria (ii) and (iv)of the O pera tio na l Guide line s, after its first s u bm iss ion in 1989 wa s rejected by the World Her itage Comm ittee . The heritage of the city is now sufficiently protectedby eight legal ins tru men ts, fou r enacted at national level and an o ther four at local level. However, these instruments have limited scop e and limita tion and, if no t rectified, w ill not be ab le to safeg uard the heritage of the City aga inst rapid development. Presidential Decree No , 374/ 1974, which has not been revised, ha s sev era l weakness es, such as in sys tem of incen tives, penalties, the bro ad term ino lo gy and scop e of her itage as we ll as overlapping of tasks an d responsi bilities bet we en na tiona l agencies. The m ain Local Ordinance No. 04/2000 : An Ordinance Enacting the Preservation and Conservation Gui de lines for Vigan Ancestra l Houses provides so lid guidance on the pro tection of heritage but req uires revi sion related to Section 2 on Definition of Ancestra l Houses, Sectio ns 3-16 on Technica l Gu idelines, Sections 17-22 on Vigan Co nservation Co uncil and Sect ion 24 on Penalties.
Keyword s:Cultumt Property, Legnllll strl/11Iellts, Protections. Scope, Limitation
The World H eritag e C ity of Vigan The He ritage City of Vigan in the Repub lic of the Philippines wa s inscr ibed as the World Heritage Site in 1999 under criteria (ii) and (iv) of Operational Guidelines', after its first submiss ion to the Wor ld Herit age Committee in 1989 wa s rejected . Located in Illocus Sur region in the Island of Luzon and abou t 480 kil ome tres north of th e cap ita l, Manila, Vigan was once a th riving por t that att racted imm igrants fr0111 all over the world. First, the Ch inese carne and
ICrit er io n (i i) :ex h ib it a n impor tant in ter cha nge of h uma n va lues, over a s pan of time or within a cu lt ur a l ar ea of the world , on deve lopme n ts in architecture or technology, monu menta l arts, town plann ing or land scape design.
opened businesses in the tow n centre and later engaged in do mestic and foreign trade with Europe, C hina , Jap an, and ot h er Southeast Asian countries . In 1521, the Ph ilip pines or Fellpinasas known by the ea rly Spanish, wa s founded and soon in 1572 Vigan wa s conquered by the Spa nish . Ove r m or e than 300 years th e Spanish esta blished a colonia l gov ernment in Vigan and in the Philippines as a whole, until he r first independence on June 12, 1898. They established the town ofVigan according to
JOI/YIlnl of Design and the Built EIlVirol/lI1el/t
the Spanish Law of the In d ies issu ed in 1573, both in terms of its urban p lanning and architecture with a se ries o f public plazas and regu lar checkerboard street pattern ; as we ll as two -storey houses or
Figure 1: The Heritage City of Vigan. Typical scene of Vigan with ho us es known as Ancestral Houses lining both sides of narrow streets wit h horse drawn carriages .
shopho uses that have a un ifo rm design both in their planning and ma teria ls. Today, Vigan is th e politica l, co m m e rc ia l. educational and re lig ious centre nor th of Luzon and is the only town in the Philipp ines that retains the legacy of Spanish co lon isa tion in the co untry and in Southeast Asia in general.
L e gal In st r um ent s on C u lt ura l P rope rti e s
In the Philippines, as well as in ot her countrie s in the world , the duty of protecting nationa l culture, arts and h istoric properties is always on the shou lders of the sta te, and is normally formalised by legal instrumentsatnatio na l level. Even though there was no provision within the Coun try Constitution, ratified in 1899 and revised in 1935, which relat ed to the protection of heritage, a number of acts from the 1950s
address the issue of protection of cultural properties , nat ionally . For e xamp le, Republic Act No . 597/1951 decla res Fort Santiago as a nationa l heritage, Republic Act No . 4039 / 1964 es tab lish es Freedom Shrin e in th e Municipality of Kawit, Republic Act No . 4368 /1965 establishes a National Historica lCcmmiss ion ?and the Republic Act No. 4846/1966 (amended by Presidential Decree No . 374/1974) provides protection and preservation of cultural proper ties in the country. The first clear s tatement re c o g ni s in g the nationa l importance of co nserving arts, culture and historic properties and providing guidance on the wa ys and m eans of protecting heri tag e wa s in cl u d e d in the third amendment of the co un try's Consti tution, ratified on 17'" January, 1973 in Manila under the late President Ferd inand E. Marcos tha t reads :
Section 9(2)
Filip ino culture shall be preser ved and d eveloped for national id e n tity. Arts and letters shall be under the p a tronage of the State.
Soon in Augus t 1973, Presidential Decree No . 260/1973 was enacted s ee k in g to declare numerous sites in the country as national treasures. Ithas bee n continuousl y amended to inclu d e o ther sites, which ar c d eemed as important to the co untry. For example, it was amended by Presidential Decree No. 756 /1975 that re cogn ises severa l properties in Vi gan tha tare impor tant to the country. In 1974 Republic Act 4846/ 1966 was amended by the issuance of Presidential Decree No . 374/ 1974 that consolid a tes the protection of cultura l prope rtie s across the coun try,
whe re it remains a princip le lega l
instrumen t in the Philippines un til the present day.
To complement thes e Presid en ti al Decrees, and to consolidate the protection o f cu lt ur al proper ties by means of lega l in s tru men ts at lo cal lev e l, ord inan ce s were also enacted locall y. For the Heritage CityofVigan, forexa mp le,local ordinan ces which re late to the protection of the city' s he ritage were pa ssed by th e Mu nicipality of Vigan on ly in the lat e 1990s. The se a re: O rd inances No. 12/1 997, No . 14/1 997, No . 06/1 999 and Ordi na nce No. 04/2000.
The Scope and Limitations of Legallnsinnn euts
All the abo ve -me n tio ned Presidenti al Decrees and Ordinances are now in effect and to g et he r, the s e le g al instrum ents p rov id e gen eral principles, me thodo logies and directions of co nse rv ation fo r the Ci ty of Vigan as we ll as sp ecific guidance fo r app ropriate int erve ntion s uch as cons erva tion, res toration , adaptation and reconstru cti on of hi st o ric properti es in Vigan (Table 1).
National Level
Local Level
T a b le 1
Lega l Inst rume nts on Cu ltural Prope rty that pro vid e protection for the Heritage City of Vigan
1973
1974
1975
1978
1997
1997
1999
/011,.,,01ofDesigllandtileBull! Enuironment
Presidentia l Decrees at Na tional Level
Follow ing the recommend ation s ma de by UNESCO and ICOMOS d uring the Worl d He ritage C o nve n t io n in 1972 that all memb e r co un tries s ho u ld un der tak e ap prop ria te legal action s to sa fegua rd their historic prop ert ies:
(UNESCO, 1972:Article 18)
Mem ber Sta tes s h o u ld, as far as possible, tak e all necessary scien tific, techn ical and administrative, legal and financi al m e asures to ens u re the pro tection of the cultura l and nat ur al heritage in their ter ritories.
The govern me n t of the Phi lippines enac ted four national laws in the 1970s . These laws, Presidential Dec rees, we re aimed not only at recognising prop erties that areim portant to the country, but also to provide ge neral guide lines as to how these properties should be managed as well as to lay d own com mon founda lion s so thatsp ecific ordinances can be developed and tailored sp ecifically to ad d ress th e differ ent ch arac te ri s tic of historical prop erti es at local levels.
For example the Presid ential Decree No. 260/ 1973 recogni ses eigh t hist orical monumen ts in the co un try as being of na tiona l im p or tance and pla ces these mo nu me n ts a n d si tes o n th e li st o f Na tio nal Cu lt u ral T reas ur es ", to be adm inis tered by the N a tiona l Mu seum . The Decree furth er recog nises ten churches nati on-wi d e as imp ortant reli gi ou s bu ildings and includes these on the list of N a tio nal Sh ri ne s", to be ad mi ni s tered
) The e ig ht Na tiona l Cu ltural Treas ures are ; The Sta .An a S ite Mus e um in Man il a, The Rom an Catho lic Churches o fPaoayand Baca rra inIllocus
No rte, The San Agus tin Chu rch and Litur gic al Objects in Manil a, Fort Pilar in Zamboa nga City,
The Pc trog lyphs of the Rockshe lte r inAu gono Riza l,
The Pet roglyphso fAlab inBontoc ,The Mummy Caves in Kabayan , Benquet ,Sagada and Alab and TheIfu ga o Rice Terraces o fBa nau e.
ins tead b y th e Nat io na l H is tor ica l In stituti o n . To fur th er s tr eng the n the protection of cultura l and natura l heritage n a ti o n a ll y, th e g o v e rn me n t o f th e Phili p p ines in 1974 amend ed Act 4846' by int ro du cin g Presiden tia l Decree No. 374/1974. This Decree, w hic h rem ains the princip al le gal in s trumen t in the Phili pp ines un til toda y, introd uces se veral im porta n t s te p s , co ns o lid a ti ng the manag em ent of historic prope rties in the co untry; in pa rticular, thes e are m oveable properti es and ar e liste d und er the list of Nati onal Cultural Treasur ers . FOI' histori cal build ings and sites the Decree adop ts: a. Te r m ino lo g y re la ted to h isto ri c
properti es were broug h t in line w ith those accep ted by the Wo rld He ritag e Conven tion, 1972and ICOMOS in Paris. Unlike UNESCO 's termi nol ogy and sco pe tha t defines her itag e as 'cultural property' that clearly gro up ed them into 'monuments','g roups of buildin gs'and 'sites' , Th e Decree defines herit age as ' Cu lt ural Properties ' to includ e all historical properties:
(PO No. 756/1975:Section 3a:2) . .. old bu ildi ng s,monument s,s hrines, d ocu ments and objects which may be cl as s ifi e d as anti q u es o r ar te fac ts, la n dm ar ks , a n th ro p o logica l a nd h ist orica l s ites , and s peci me ns o f natura l hist ory which ar e of cultur al,
ｾ "Na tional Shrines arc places of w orship o r places that may be co nside red s acred; sites of s ig nificant batt le s o r o ther no te w o rt hy mil it a ry ev e n ts; ances tral ho uses; s ites o f the birth, death , e xile, de tention or imprisonm ent of nati onal heroes; and s ites of ancien tand irreplac eab le hu man wo rks" (NC AA , 200 1:47). The ten Na tio nal Sh rines are : TheBarescaluChurches in Malolos,Bulacen,Tirad Pass, Cervantes,lllocosSur:The Miagao Churches inMiagao,Ilo ilo; The Site of the Battle o f Mactan o n Mac tan Isl an d in C cb u: Th e Sa n Seba s tia n Church in Qu tapc,Manila; and The Churc h and Con vent o f Santo Nifio inCebuCity .
historical , anthropological or scie ntific value and significance to the nation ,.. . but m ak e s no di sti ncti on between
cultural and natural properties;
b. Recognises tha t historic properti es arc not only limited to objects, monuments an d building s, but al so si tes . Th e 'h is to rical s ites' is de fine d as "an y place, provin ce, city, tow n and / or any lo cation and s truc tu re w h ic h has played a significan t and important role in the history of ... [th clcountry an d nation" (section 3i);
c. Es ta b lis he s the list o f Impo rtant Cultural Propert y' (Section 2 and 3b); d. Limits the scope of Nati ona l Cultur al
Treas ures to "only the rare and unique objects " an d lithe remainder, if any, sha ll be treat ed as cult ura l p roperty (Section 7);
e. Prohib its an y cha nge o f ow ne rs hi p (Section 8:4), excav a tion (Secti on 12:5) and any form of intervention (Sectio n 13 :5 ) witho ut a p p ro v a l from th e Nati onal Museum; and
f. Imposes penalties for any viola tion of the Act to a fine o f not more than ten th o us and s pes o s [£1 I 8]' or imprisonment for a tenn of not more than two years or both , and establi shes a unit und er the National Mu seum ca lled Division of Cultur al Properti es to pro secute violators of this Act (Section 21:7).
It is impor ta nt to not e th at the lis ts of Nati onal Cultural Treasures and National Shrines asmentionedin Presid ential Decree
6 Important Cultura l Prop erties are those having
ex cep tional histo rical and cu ltura l sig nificance to the co untry, but are not s ufficie ntly o utstanding to me rit the clas s ifica tio n of Na tio nal Cult ural Treasu res .
The Scopeand Limiui!ions of Legal lllsirulllellis
No . 260/ 1973 or in th ose d ecr ees enacted before 1973, do not contain any monum ents, buildings or sites from Vigan or th e Illocu s Su r re gio n . The fir st le g al in st rum ent relating to cultur al prope rties that a ffected the city directly is th e Presidential Decree No. 756/ 1975 enacted after a se ries of fires de stroyed do zens o f hist or ical buildings (Ricard o, 1998:2) including the Sem ina ry in 1968, The Decree recognised two buildings in Vigan as having nati onal importance and placed these buildi ngs under th e list of cultur al properties'. One was the house of Padre Jose Burgos on Burgos Stre et, now functioni ng as Burgos Museum and the other, the hou se of Leo na Flo ren tino on Crisologo Stree t that now houses the tou rist office and a cafe .Italso recogni sed Mestizo s ec tio n of Viga n as havin g nati onal importance and placed this section unde r the listof hi st or ical sites".Howe ver, to w hat extent the properties within this section were protected by the decree wa s unclear , since th e d ecr ee onl y menti on ed "M e s tiz o sec tio nII w itho u t li sting the pro per ties within th e section or d efinin g its boundary. The De cr ee (P O No . 756 /1 9 75 ) wa s impor tant to Vigan sinceitrecogni sed the hi storical val ue o f p rop ert ies in th e city and, more imp ortantly ,it provided some degr ee of protection against mi streatm ent, sin ce Par agraph 5 o f th e Decree prohibited any demolition , repair o r renov ation o f pr op ertie s reco gni s e d , w it ho u t p rio r appro val fr om the Na tional Museum in Manila:
(Para graph 5:1)
... no demolition, repair or renov ation of buildings in these areas [listed eith er under N ationa l Cu ltural Treasures or Na tion al Sh rines ] shall be undertaken
7Calculated based on excha nge rate o f £1 to 85
pesos .
8By virtue o f Sec tions 3a and Zao f Presid ential
Decree No. 374/ 1974 ,
ｾ By virtue of Section 3i of President ial Decree No.
IOl/mal of Desigl/ and tile Built Ellvirol/lIlel/ l
without prior study, cons ultation and app roved by the National Mu seum. To provide s im ila r protec tion to th ose p roper ties list ed in th e Na tional Sh ri nes list, w hich la y under th e respon sibility of the Na ti o na l Hi st orical In stitut e s , Presidential De cree N o. 260 / 1973 was a me nd ed b y Presidential Dec ree No. 1505/ 1978. Itp ro hibits any int er venti on wit hou t approval fro m the Chairman of Na tiona l Historical Institute s and imposes pen alti es that carryimprisoruuento f one to five years
0 1'a fine of on e thou sand to ten thou sand s
pesos [£11.8 to £118] or both (Secti on 5:1). Th e commit ment of the Republic o f the Philip pines to e ns ure the pro tecti on and co nse rvatio n of c ultural pro perties and sites in the co u n try during th e 1970s wa s high. Under th e leadership of Pre sident Mar cos, the co u n try acted fast echo ing the reco mm enda tions m ad e by UN ESCO and ICOMOS in the 1970's, p rimarily those a t the World H e rita ge Con ve n tio n (1972), ICOM OS (1972), UN ESCO (1972), lCOM OS (1975) and UNESCO (1976). Properties that are recognised to hav e importanthistori cal, cu lt ura l a nd soc ia l va lues to the co u n try we re in cl u d e d eithe r un der the li st o f Na tional Cultural Treasur ers , Important Cu lt ura l Prop erties, C u lt ura l Pro pe r ties, Historical Sites o r Nati onal Shrines a n d henc e pro tected aga ins t mistreatm ent and exp loitation a nd placed the manage me nt of these properties u nd er eith er the National Mu seum an d N atio nal H isto rical Ins titu te (Dclumen, 2002:3).
H owever, there (Ir e se veral glarin g w e akn es se s o f th e sco pe of p ro tec tion p rov ided by these inst ruments:
a. Se c tion 12 of P resi den t ia l D e c re e prov id es a clause fo r v iola tion and non-com p liance to the Decree that imposes a m a ximum of ten thou sand pesos [£118] or imp risonment for a ter m of not lu cr ethan two ye ars or both ; and this sec tion has no t been revised ever since. A ft e r thirty y e ar s n o w , the ten thou sands p esos may not be s ubstan tial
enough to prevent thenon -compliance s es pe cially from medium to large-scale restorati on p rojects. The develop ment of a s h op p ing co m p lex n ext to th e SI. Paul's Ca thed ra l w ill n ot be off-tang en t from the recommended conserva tion principl es if p en alties a re hi gh er and p ro pe rly imposed. U N ESCO (1972) recommend s that be sides mon eta ry fines, the Membe r States shou ld a lso cons ider inclu din g a p rovision for the " res to ra tion o f a n eff ect ed s ite to its o rigi na l s tate in ac cordance with est abli shed scien tific a nd technical sta nda rds (Article 48) by the heritage owners and their cons ultants.
b. No sys te m of incentive is provid ed for heritage ow ners that co uld en cour age them to main tain an d rest o re their heritage prop erties. In the ab sen ce of incenti ves a nd low p e na lties, the effor t to enco ura g e proper mai nt en ance, preser vati on and resto ration amo ng h eritag e owner s and u sers in th e Philippines will be hard to ach ieve. In Vig an , fo r e xa m p le , th e poor mainte nan ce and sev e re d e fcct s o f ancestral hou ses may no t be so se rious if o p tions of a ttractive incenti ves are mad e av a ilab le by the go vernment or the local authorities for utilisation of the hom eowners.
c. Th er e see ms to be a s ubs tan tia l ov erla pp ing o f tasks a nd responsibilities bet w een th e Na tiona l Museum and the N ation al Hi s torical Institut e. This wa s recognised by the gove rn men t, a nd in 1992 by v ir tue of Re p ub lic Act N o . 735 6/1 992 th e Nati o nal C ommissi o n for Cu lt u re and the Ar ts (NCAA) wa s es tab lished w ith the objectives, a mo ng o the rs, to coord ina te the ac tiv ities of na tional ins titu tes o n art s an d c u lt u ra l proper tie s , in cluding tho se o f th e Na tiona l M U SeUI11 and the N atio nal
national agencies in the country that are in cha rge o f co nserva tio n and preser vati on of cu lt ur al properties, in particu la r o f buildings and historical sites. Without clea r jurisdiction a nd respon sibilities for eac h, th e genera l public, especially a re a t a loss.
d. U nlike the UNESCO (1972)
recommenda tio ns that limi t the sco pe of cult ura l prope r ties as e i ther " mo n u ments, gro u ps of b uildings or sites", th e de fin itions a nd the scope of herit ag e, in particul ar, im mova b le h erita g e, in th e Ph ili p p in es are confusing:National Cultural Treasures, Im port ant Cu ltura l Prop erties, Cultural Pr ope rt y, Hi s torical Sites, National Cult ura l Sh rines, National Shrines to n amea few .
The w eaknesses identified above are so glaring th at th ey wa rra n t detailed studies b y the gove rn me n t. Af ter all , th e ab ov e instrumen ts are now thirty years of age, eno ug h to ju stify major rev ision.
Ordin anc es a t Lo cal Level.
Th e Presidential Decrees at na tional level p rovid e pro tecti on for cu ltur al property in the Philippines a nd se t a s trong fou ndation for the develop me n t of sp ecific laws a nd g u ide lines rel atin g to th e protect ion of p roperties a t p rov incia l a nd local levels. In the case ofVigan,asmenti on edearlier, not a sing le ordinance or g uide line relating to th e pro tec tio n of cu lt ural p roper ties was enacted, eit her by IlIocu s Sur p rov ince or by the Viga n tow n d uring the 1970s and 1980s. W he n the firs t sub miss ion requesting inscription in th e list of World H e ri tag e Sites was made in 1988, th e his toric proper ties in Vigan were protected by the four nationa l decrees, asm ention ed a nd recognised by th e ICOMOS report (1989). However, during the seco nd half o f th e 1990s, th e re were four ord inan ces rel a te d to th eprote cti on of c u lt u r a l prope rti es in Vigan fo rmu la ted b y th e M u n icip ali ty o f Viga n th at help ed to
TileScopeandLiiniui tione of Legnl/llstrulllellts
s ha pe, impr o ve an d co ns o li da te th e protection o f historic p roperties in Vigan . These are:
a. O rd ina nce No . 12/ 1997 tha t defines the bo undaries o f core and buffer zones. b. Ordi nance No . 14 /1 997 that de fines the
conservation terms, princi p les and processes.
c. Ordinance No . 06/1999 tha t amends
theconservationzones.
d . Ordinance No . 04/2000 that provides detailed guidelines on the meth odology of conserva tion and preserva tio n su itab le fo r a ncestra l hou ses of Vigan. It also fo rmali ses th e crea tio n of a m an a g em e nt bod y within th e Muni cipality o f Vigan calle d Viga n Co nse rva tion Co u nc il (VCC), th at in ge nera l tak es res po ns ibili ty of overal l management of historical properties in Viga n.It is this Ordinance th a t gives resp onsib ility an d the p ower to the local authori ty to protect th e he rita ge of the city.
a. O rdi na nce No . 12 /1997
O rd ina nce No . 12/1 997 that defi n es th e Core and Buffer Zones ofV igan was p assed by the Municipality(Sillggllllinllg Bnynll)of Viga n on Sep tembe r I", 1997, in time for the s ubmission of the seco nd nomination d ossier to the World Heri tage Ce n tre in 1998.Itwas intended to conso lida te Vigan's la ws o n cu lt ura l p ro pe r ties p rior to th e eva lua tio n for in scription to th e Wo rld Herit age List:
(Preamble:1)
Whereas, theHistoric Tow no fViga n is includ ed in th e ten ta tive list of World Heritage Sites and must mee t various criteria in au thenticity, integ rity and good m a n a g emen t of it s cult u ra l prope rty. As such, there is a need to provide the local legislati ve s upport to guara n tee its p ro tec tio n and p reser va tion for the presen t and fu ture ge neration.
[ournnl o/Desigllol/dlite Built Enulronnten t
by d efining and incorporating the "Mestizo Section"in to core and bu ffe r zones. The core zone is define d like an L-Sha pe w ith plazas a nd p ub lic buildi ng s on one e nd a nd Mestizosect ion on th e o the r end.
(Section 4:2)
T he co re forms like a n L-Sh a pe. It
encompasses the two plazas, Burgos and Salcedo and the forma l buildings around o n the north and northwest end; the entire mes tizo d is trict cen tered o n
fou r ma in streets : Gov . A . Reyes ,
Plaridel, Criso logo a nd V.de los Reyes bound ed by Diego Silang Stree t on the sou the rn end. Th e a rea bein g bounded by th e foll o win g s t re e ts a nd lot nu mb ers : . _.
The bounda ries of this zone are carefully demarca ted to follow the rear site boundary of lot nu mbe rs (Section 4: 2-3), b ringing un d e r protection bot h th e proper ties insid e the lot s a nd the stree ts in fron t. As re c o mm en d ed by th e int ernati on a l guide lines and as required by O perati onal Guidelines, th e b uffer zo ne is also defi ne d (Section 5:3 -4), w i th th e p urpose o f providing au thenticity of se tting and to protect the ca rl' zone. Even then, the Bureau of the World Heritage Committe e, when
revi ewing Vigan's nom ination to the
World Heritage Site at its twen ty-third session 1999 in Pa ris, acce p ted ICO MOS' recommen d ation (ICOMOS, 1999:3) that min or m odificatio n to the delineation o f the core and buffer zones o f Viga n mu st be mad e prio r to its accep tance to the Worl d Heritage List. Th ro ugh the Director, Mr. Mounir Bouchenaki, the World He rita ge Centre as the secretaria t to the Bureau instru cted the Mun icipality of Vigan to act accordingly (UNESCO, 1999). Therefore, on 30'h Aug us t 1999, Ord ina nce No. 6/1999 was en acted . Changes were m ade to comp ly w ith the request from the Worl d Heritage Ce ntre. Within the Core Zone , the Divine Wo rld of Vigan Co llege a t its north- eas tern corne r was excl uded due to its mod ern four s to rey s tructure a nd inappro pria te use as a
petrol sta tion and the form er Vigan Central School at the sout h e nd of the Buffer Zone wa s a lso excluded due to its usc as an extension to the b us terminal (lCO MOS, 1989:2-3).
b. O rdinance No. 14/1997
A mo n th after Ordi nance No.12/1997 wa s enacted, another ordinance was also pa ssed by the M unicipali ty of Vigan . Ordinance No . 14/1997 wa s int ended to provide the admi nistrators, professionals and the public w ith the know ledge o f the co mmon p rin cipl e s a n d strateg ies of conser va tion,asprac tise d in terna tionally:
(Parag rap h 2:1)
T hese are s ta nd a rd in ternat iona l practices on co nse rva tio n tailored fo r use in the Historic Town of Vigan to maintain its a u the n tici ty , in teg rit y, and pro tection as a heritage s ite in the present and into the future .
The in trod uction of this ordina nce at the time ofnominati on s ubm iss ionto the World He ritage Centre in Paris , wa s ca re fu lly planned and execu ted so th a t Viga n wo uld be see n no t on ly to po ssess 'o u tstand ing universa l values', but also to have clear direction as to how th e city sho uld or will be con served. Ge ne rally, six main aspects of conservation related to theHistoric Town of Viga n a re now de fined, in clo se resem b la nce o f t h e Bu rra C h a rt e r o f Aus tra lia".They are :
Sect ion1: De finition of terms Sect ion 2 :Co nse rva tio n Principles Sectio n 3: Co nservatio n Processes Sectio n 4: Documentationand
Recording Section 5 : Compatible Uses Section 6 : Penalt ies
(3" Rev ision) a nd Ne w Zealand ICO MOS in 1992.
(Section 1.1:1)
Place m eans th e g eogra p h ic a re a d efined in Or d inan ce No:12 d escribed as the H is to ric To w n o f Vigan , co ns is ting o f a core a rea and a buffer zo ne , in clud in g a ll th e g ro u p o f his tor ical buildings and the ir setting and as s o ci a te d co n te n ts li st e d in Annex 2 [Listi ng of Ance s tra l Hou ses and Hi s torica l Build ings ];monuments; shrines ; landm ark s; s tre e ts, pla zas, o p e n spac e s , ri v er s iden tified o f cultural si gnificance found w ithin.
(Section 1.2:1)
Cultu ral Significan ce m ea n s th e aes the tic, eco no mic, ed ucational , e nviron m en tal, hist oric, reli g iou s, or social va lue of the Place d efin ed in Section 1.1 above w hic h helps us to und ersta nd o ur past, co n tributes to the enrichmen t o fourpresent envi ronment, and pass on to fut ure generations . . .
(Section 1.3:2)
Fab ric means all the physical ma te rial a nd a ttribu tes per ceived by the senses found in e ve ry no ok and cor ne r including e xcava tio ns in the his toric Town of Viga n i.e. bri cks, hardwood timbers, lime mo rtar,ca p iz w ind ows, iron g rills, lam ps, pied ra ch ina tile s and clay tiles, 18'" cen tury pe riod furn itur e an d furn ishin g s , fa u n a an d fl or a co m m o n ly found in th e a rea li ke palmera,bou gainvill ea, s un tan, adelfa, hibiscus and cact us.
By ado p ting the ab ove d efinition, the ran ge o f herit age in Vig an now inclu des both tan gibl e and in tan gibl e that covers not only
10The Burra Charter was ado ptedby Australia ICO MOS (the Austra lian Na tiona l Comm itteeof lCO MOS)on 191"Aug u s l 197 9 a t Burra,Sou th
Aus tralia.It w as rev ised on 23'JFebruary 198 1, 23 April 1988 and on the 261hNov 1999.
The Scopeand
Limitations
of Legal ills/mlllell/shis tor ical buildings a nd a nces tra l hou ses but also the ope n spaces, the plazas, the s tree ts , s tree t fu rn i tu re , fu rni s h in g , cu ltu res, flor a a nd fauna . How ev er, it devia tes for th e terms a nd scope defined by the na tional Decrees as di scussed abo ve . Thus, it crea tes a gap between the two levels. O rdi na nce No.14 / 1997 also clarifies man y othe r principles regard ing th e int e rventi on of historic proper ties in Viga n.
a. (Section 3)
It clarifies the d iffe re n t concep ts of con servation , preser vation, resto ration , re co ns tr uc tion , ad a p ta tion a nd mai n tenan ce ,
it
hel ps the adminis trators, the professionals and the public to fully un de rstand the real c o ncep t of co ns e rv a ti o n, and th e di fferent levels of int ervent ion that can be int roduced in order to protect a nd enha nce the va lue of histo ric proper ties; b. (Section 4)It e mpha si s es th e im po rta n ce of d oc um entati on in an y in terv enti on wo rk s uc h as the ne ed to con d uc t d eta il ed s t u d ies prior to a n y intervention, the importan ce of havin g a w ritten s ta te me n t of co nserva tio n policy, the need for cataloguing a nd archiv in g , and the val ue of ha ving co n tinu o us s tudy o n soci o log ica l, archaeo logical excav atio n;
c. (Section 5)
Itprovid es exa mples of suitable and not so suitable uses of historic buildings and si tes w ithin the cor e and b uffe r zones;
d. (Section 6)
Itimp oses penal ties for non-com pliance to the la w, a fine o f 2,500 pesos [£291 and /or s ix monthsimprisonment,
10111'1I0/ ofDesigllandtileBuiltEIIVil'OIIII/ellt
ordinance on the other hand is very s pecific for the protection of cultural properties at local level i.e. Vigan.Itprovides conservation terms, scope and principles for all including authorities, professionals, consultants, contractors and the general public. To a large extent this Ordinance has helped many parties locally to understand the general principles of conservation as practised internationally.
Similar to Presidential Decree No. 374/1974, this Ordinance also fails to encourage
proper maintenance, preservation and
restoration by homeowners for not providing conservation incentives, as well as very low fines fornon-compliance,With only 2,500 pesos or £29 maximum penalties, it provides 'loopholes' for abuse.
c. Ordinance No.04/2000
While Ordinances No. 12/ 1997 and No. 6/ 1999 define the core and buffer zones of historic Vigan and Ordinance No. 14/1997
provides conservation principles,
Ordinance No. 4/2000 provides guidelines for repairs and restoration as well as establishing a local management body . Ordinance No. 04/2000 : An Ordinance Enacting The Preservation and Conservation Guidelines for Vigan Ancestral Houses, was approved by the Municipality of Vigan on 24'" April 2000 in twenty-four sections. This Ordinance provides technical guidelines, in some detail, on the processes and methods of preservation, restoration and conservation of ancestral houses, open spaces, streetscapes and new architecture.
a. (Section 2) : Definition of ancestral houses
It places the itnportance of 'age' over 'architec ture' by formally defining 'ancestra lhouses' as "structures, which
11There was no research madeon the number of
new houses built within the CoreandBuffer Zones after 1946. But through observation, no new houses are being built within the core zone, but there are several vacant lots and mined ancestral houses.
have been in existence for not less than fifty years, the architecture of which is of Hispanic and Chinese influence". This simplified definition means:
• New houses built just after the country's independence on 4thJuly
1946 from the United States, if any, can now be considered as 'ancestral houses"? or the houses built today will also be considered as 'ancestral house' in fifty years time . This 'magic' number is subjective in nature and makes no references to any known legal instruments either at local or national levels and no references to the time in which these houses were built, "fran) mid 181h to late 19'" centuries" (ICOMOS, 1999:2) except to (MoV and UNESCO 1999:3) that states "a structure Inay be considered ancestral or has a cultural valueif
it is at least 50 years old"
• No detailed design characteristic is provided for reference except "the architecture of which is of Hispanic and Chinese influence", and is thus open to variable interpretations and practices;
• It allows for modern buildings, which have distant characterfrom the ancestral houses to be built on vacant lots of Vigan which will soon dilute the urban characteristic ofV igan;
Section 4
Section 9 Section10 Section 11
d. (Sections 17 -22) : Establis h Vigan Conservation Co unc il (VCC) and its Technical Working Group (TWG). To consolida tc the ma nage me nt of . cultural prope rties in Vigan, th is ordinance formalises the creation of Vigan Conserva tion Council (VCC) and its Technical Working Gro up (TWG). Both VCC and TWG were first introduced by Mayor Eva Marie S. Med ina by the issuance of Executive Order No . 03/1999 on the 3'" Ma rch 1999.Legally, VCC, whose members are the lea d ers of all the major stakeholder gro ups in Vigan, is now responsible for planning, eva luating, approving or TheScope aiu!Lintitationsof Legal lns!rumcnts
of d ifferen t colour schemes, but does makeitcompulsory for the home ow ners to use thetrad itiona l lime-washon lime plastering.
c. (Sec tion 16) : Guide lines on new architecture
The Ordinance also provides guidelines on the in troduction of new architecture in Vigan wi th the hope that the new buildings will blend themselves we ll w ith the ex is ting con texts and thus enha nce the valueof heritagein Vigan. Specifically, it provides lim ita tion in terms of building heights, roof forms and materials, as well as the finishes of external walls. Wh ile the guide line strictly controls the building heigh ts, which should be app lauded, it allows the use of modern rnaterials with less contro l and fails to la y down the principles behind these guidelines, as what was recommended by ICOMOS (1972). Th is could be one of the reasons for less successful in te rv e nti o n of the new shoppi ng comp lex next to St. Paul's Cathedral. The problem will be mo re ser ious when a proposa l is made to fill in the vacant lot between ancestral ho uses w here the desi re to ma intain the co ntinuity of form and func tion is highe r, and Section 16 is clearly inadeq ua te to face such proposals .
These gu idelines are wide ranging and providemethodsof repair, maintenance and restora tion of ex isting ancestral ho uses, whic h arc mostly in a bad state of repair. TI,e issuing of these gu idelines is very timely since one of the problems faced by Vigan and the Philippines in general is th e absence of clear methodologtes of conserva tion as high lig h ted by Delumen (2002: 2). However, these guidelines have several shortcomings. Sect ion 5, for example provides the methods of repair and mai nte nance for brick wa lls and lime p lastering, but no t on clean ing, repair and maintenance of timber wall pane ls, in particu lar, the 'wood-brick' houses which feat ure wall panels on the first floo r; Section 7 provides guidelines on replacing window ja m bs, but not on cleaning and replacing the most important fea tures of ancestral houses:
mph andpersianawindows .Similarly,
Section 10 allows for rep lacement of mo uldi ng and decorative elementsof the ceiling from wood to alterna tive materials, and Sec tion 13 allows the use Section 12
Section 13 Sectio n 5 Section 6 Sect ion 7 Section 8
Extension) of the University of Northern Philippines (UNP) and Archt. Fatima Rabang Alonzo, Dean of Arc hi tecture Institut e at UNP as follows :
Section 3 Gu idelines for the
Foundation
G uidelines for the Ground Floor Flooring Guidelines for Walls . Guidelines for Floors Guidelines for Windows Gu idelines for Second Floor and Staircase Guidelines for Electrical and Mecha nical Sys tems Guidelines for Roof and Ceilings
Guidelines for Architec tural
loumal of Design audfil eBuiltEnuironment
reject ing any p hysica l in te rve n tion a nd d evelopment w ithin th e core and buffer zo nes o f Vigan. The Tech nica l Working Gr ou p (creat ed within VCC) is a work ing committee to eva lua te, revi ew and mak e recommend ation s to VCC for fur th er dc libern ti on and d ecision. Det ail s o f VCC and its scop e are d iscussed fur the r under s ub -cha p ter 7.2 (Management Str uct ures of Vigan). e. (Sectio n 24): Pe na lties
To e nco urage proper co nse rva tio n m ethodologi es a n d to pre vent a ny w rong in ter ven tions to histor ic cultur al prop er ties in Vi gan, this Ordinance p rov ides clauses for Penalties for those found v io la t in g thi s ordinance a s follows:
i. Firs t Offence 1,000.00 pesos [£12] ii. Second Offence 1,500.00 pesos [£18] iii. Third Offen ce or mor e 2,500.00 pesos
[£30]
Co m p a re d to the penalties impose under Section 20 of Presiden tia l Decree No . 374 / 1974 , enac te d a lmo s t thirty year s ago, w hic h stip ula tes tha t:
(Section 20 :6)
Any v iola tio n of the p ro v ision s of thi s A ct sh a ll, u po n con v ictio ns, s ubjec t th e o ffender to a fine of not mor e that ten th ou sand pesos [£118] o r imprisonm ent for a term o f no t more than tw o years01'both up on the
di screti on of the cour l. ..
the fines im p osed under this O rd inance a re sma ll. Even though the re has been no cas e o f v iola tio n s ince the in trod uc tio n o f thi s O rd inance 2000 until the present d ay, as notified b y th e Mayor's O ffice duri ng the study vi sit, sm a ll fin es, sur ely will n ot be
eno ug h to rest rain illeg al interven tion as well as non co mpliance with the gu idelines.
Co ncl us i o n
new architecture and es tablishmen t of m a nagemen t co uncil, it is proposed that the title of th e O rdinance be changed such as 'An Ordinance Enacting Conservation Gu idelines for C ultura l Prope r ty o f Viga n and th e Es tab lis hme n t o f Vigan Conserva tion Counci l'.
Spec ifically, it is a lso recom me nded that ame ndments be made on the follow ing sect ions :
a. Seciion Z: Scope
Th is secti on limits the sco pe of th is Ord ina nce to cover on ly ances tral houses in Vigan, bu t the whole conten ts of this Ord in a nce reall y is much w ider to include open spaces,streetscapeand new arch itect ure. There fo re, it is recommended that the words 'ancestral ho uses' be changed to 'cu ltura l proper ty' . Th is sec tion also p ro vid es a forma l defini tion of ancestral hou ses that limits its exis tence to a t least fifty years and "which is of Hispanic and Chinese in fl ue nce ". To enco urage uni form ity in des ign, and to avoid mist reatmen t,itis recommended that specia l characteristics o f ancest ral ho uses be drawn.
b. Section5:Guidelinesforwalls.
Section 5(a) to 5(d) p rovi de de tailed guidelines on repair and restoration of Inason ry wall; and no guide line is given for repair and restoration of wooden pa nels or walls. Therefore, it isrecommendedthat sub-sections o n re p air and res to ra tio n of wooden walls be includ ed :
• Section 5(e) Cleaning o f timber p anels a n d wa lls
• Sectio n 5(1) Repai r o f timbe r panels and wa lls
• Sec tion 5(g) Replace men t of tim ber pa nels and wa lls
TheScope and Liniiuuion« of Legal/Ilstl'/Illlfllts
c. Section7:Guidelinesfortoindotos Section 7 provides guidelines for re pl aci ng window jam bs; but no gu ide lines are given on cleaning and replacemen t o f capiz and persiann
windows. Therefore, the Researc h re co m m e nd s for inclus ion of sub -sections:
• Section 7(b) Cleaning ofcapizand persianawi ndows
• Sec tion 7(c) Repl acemen t of capiz
andpersia/Inwindows
d. Section l i):Guidelinesfor roofandceiiing« Sec tion 10(d) specifies me thods an d materials for replacemen t of mou lding and decora tiveelementsof theceiling, but allows for re pl a ce m ent with different materials:
(Section 10:7)
Missing and broken mou ldings and decorative elemen ts of the ceiling may be replaced by copying th e dime nsion of any exis ting por tion of the wood element, and by usi ng m at erial th a t closely resembles the old wood species.
Since the se elements are of wood, small in numbers and are impor tant features in ancestral ho uses,imitation should not be allowed. Therefore, it is alsoreco mmendedfor theamendment
of this clause: (Section 10:7)
Missing and brokenmould ingsand decorative elements of the ceiling shou ld be replaced by simil ar design and in the same mate rials as the old one .
e. Section Ts: Guidelinesfor paints
Sections 13(a) to (e) provide guidelines and choice of colours for internal and externa l pain ts, but are silen t on the specific typ e of pa int. Since all the Inasonry wa llsof ancestral hou ses arc plastered with lime; then it isimportant that only lime wash be used. To protec t
[ournal of Design and the Buil! Enuironment
againstmistreatment,itis recommended for inclusion of Section 13(f) that reads: Both interior and exterior walls shall be painted with lime wa sh, and the usc of modern acrylic paint is prohibited.
f. Section16 :New Architecture
Section 16 pro vides guidelines for new architecture in Vigan that controls building heights, roof forms, roof materials, exterior walls, and special features and allows for the use of modern materials and construction techniques . To some extent these guidelines are too detailed. In the absence of clear principles on new architecture, these guidelines can easily be mistreated and abused . It is recommended that a clear principle on new architecture be included as suggested by ICOMOS (1972a).
g.
Section24:Pellol ClouseThis Section provides penalties for non-compliance to this Ordinance, but the amount is far too small for it to be effective:
Any person found violating this ordinance shall be subjected to a fine of:
a. First Offence
rt.ooo
[£12] b. Second Offence 1,500 [£18]c.Third Offence or more 2,500 [£30]
Therefore, it is recommended for
revision of these fines to an amount substantial enough to prevent violation, and to consider other options such as
imprisonmentas included in Section 5 of the Presidential Decree No . 1505 (RaP , 1978) and reconstruction as recommended by UNESCO (1972): (UNESCO 1972: Article 48)
..and should include provision for the restoration of an effected site to its orig inal state in accordance with
established scientific and technical standards.
To encourage restoration
by
the private homeowner, it is recommended the Ordinance to include awards and incentives in variou s forms such as publicity, plaque, tax exemption and monetary rewards, to name aew .The amendments to the current legal instruments are necessary so that the heritage of Vigan will be better protected and
safeguarded for now and future
generations .
References
Delumen, B., 2002. Cultural Heritage Protection Activities in the Philippines: Problems and Needs. Available at http:// www.nara .accu.or.jp / english / topics / technological/philippines.htm!. Accessed on 18'h Feb 2003.
ICOMOS, 1972. Resolution of the Symposium on the Introduction of Contemporary Architecture into Ancient Groups of Buildings . 3'd General Assembly, Budapest, June 1972.
ICOMOS , 1975 . Resolution of the In terna tiona I Sym posiUIl1 on the
Conservation of Smaller Historic Towns. 4'h General Assembly, Rothenburg, May 1975.
ICOMOS, 1989. Report to the World Heritage Committee on Vigan, Philippines. September 1989.
ICOMOS New Zea land, 1992. Cha rter for th e Co nse rva tio n of Places of Cu lt u ra l Heritage Value, N ew Zea land, Octob er 1992.
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Mun icipality of Viga n, 1999. Ordinance No .06 / 1999 : An Ord inance Amending Certain Provi sions of Ordinan ce No . 12/ 1997 by Red efining the Boundaries of the Co re and Buffer Zones of the Hi storical Town of Vigan . Aug. 30"', 1999, Vigan, Philippines.
Municip ality of Vigan, 2000. Ordinan ce No .04/2000: An O rd inance Ena cting the Prese rvatio n and Co nservation Guideli nes for Vigan An cest ral H ouses . 24'hApr il 2000, Vigan, Philippines.
Republi c o f the Philippines , 1899. Co n s tit u tio n of th e Republi c of th e Philippines, 1899, Manila, Philippines . Republic o f the Philippines, 1935. Cons ti t u t ion of the Re p ubli c of th e Phil ippines, 1935, Manila, Philippines. Republic of the Philippines, 1965. Republic Act N o . 4368 : An Ac t to Establish a Nati onal Hist orical Commis sion , to Define its Powers and Functions, Authorizing the Appropriate of Funds Th er efore , and for O th er Purp ose s. Jun e 196 5. Manil a, Philippines.
TheScope attdLimi tationsofLegnlln stn unents
Rep ublic of th e P hilippines, 197 3a . Co ns ti t u tio n o f th e Re p u b lic o f th e Philip pin es,1973, Manil a, Philippin es. Republic o f th e Philippi nes, 197 3b . Presid ential Decree N o.260 : Decl aring The Sta, Ana Site Mu seum in Manil a, The Rom an Ca tholic Ch urc hes of Paoay and Bacarra in 1I10 c0 5 N o rte, ... as N ational Shrines,Mon uments,and/o r Land marks . Au g.1",1973. Manila, Phili p pines.
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Republi c o f the Philippines , 197 8. Presid enti al Decr ee No. 1505: Ame nd ing Presid enti al Decr ee No. 260, As Am ended, By Proh ibiting th e Unauth o ri s ed Mo difica tion , A lte ratio n, Repair and Des truction of O rigi nal Fea tures of All Na tiona l Shrines, Monu ment s, Landmarks and O the r Importa nt Hi storic Edi fices, Manil a, Philippine s. [un
n -,
1978. Manila, Ph ilippines .Republic o f th e P h ili p p ines , 1987. Constituti on of th e Republic o f the Phili p pines, 1987, Manila, Ph ilip p ines. Re p u bli c o f th e Phi lipp ines, 1989. Nomina tion of Vigan For Inclusion in the World Heritage List , UNESCO . Manila, Philippines .
Rep ubli c of the Philippines, 1991. Republic Act No. 716 0 : Bo ok 1lI - Th e Lo cal Government Code of the Phil ippines, 1999. Manil a, Philip pines.
Iournn!afDesigllalld tile Bllilt Environment
Re publi c o f th e P hili pp in es , 1992. Rep ublic Act No . 7356 : An Act Creating the Nat io nal Co m m is sion for Cu lt ure a nd th e Arts, Es ta bli sh in g a Na tio na l Endo w me n t Fu nd fo r Cu ltu re a nd th e Arts, and for o the r Pu rposes. April 3'd, 1992. Ma nila, Philippines .
Rep ub li c o f th e Ph ilipp ines , 1996 . Exe cu t ive O rder No . 358/ 1996 Creating a Presidenti al Com miss ion for the Pre s e rv ati on, Co ns e rv a tio n an d Preser va tio n of the Vigan Heritage Village. Manila, Phili ppines .
Re p u b lic o f th e Philipp ines , 1998. No mina tion Dossier : The H is toric Tow n of Vigan, Manila, Phili ppines .
Ric ardo, Fa v is 19 98. Pl ann in g Fo r th e Cons er v ati on a nd S us ta inab le Development of Historic Vigan. 7'"Semina l' o n the Conserva tio n of As ian Cu ltura l He rita g e . To ky o Na tio na l Res e a rch Institute of Cultural Properties, Tokyo.
UNESC O, 1972. Reco mme ndat ion Co ncern in g the Pro tecti on , at Na tiona l Le vel , o f th e C u lt ur a l a n d Natural Heritag e, Paris .
UN ESCO, 1972a. Conve n tion Concern ing the Pro tection of the Wor ld Cul tural and Natur al Heritage, Pari s, 1972. (The Worl d Heritage Conve ntion)
UN ESC O , 1976. Recomm endati on Concerning T h e Sa feg ua r d ing a n d Con te m po rary Role of Hi s toric Areas . 191h Sess ion of General Conference, 26th Oct - 3D'" Novembe r 1976, Nairobi.
