The Best Practice of Public Administration in the Cultural Conservation and Management of the UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan
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📌Calle Crisologo
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📌Baluarte Zoo ( exclusion Entrance Fees)
📌Pagburnayan Pottery
📌St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral
📌Padre Burgos House – National Museum
📌Crisologo Museum
📌Bantay Bell Tower
📌Banaoang Bridge
Tour Packages Options: Day 3
📌Special Trip for Santiago Cove
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The traditional Hispanic checkerboard street plan opens up into two adjacent plazas. The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open space, with the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The two plazas are dominated by the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall, and the Provincial Capitol Building. The urban plan of the town closely conforms with the Renaissance grid plan specified in the Ley de la Indias for all new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a noticeable difference between Vigan and contemporary Spanish colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core (known as the Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is tempered by strong Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino influences. As its name implies, this district was settled by affluent families of mixed Chinese-Ilocano origin.
Vigan is unique for having preserved much of its Hispanic colonial character, particularly its grid street pattern and historic urban lay out. Its significance also lies on how the different architectural influences are blended to create a homogenous townscape.
Criterion (ii): Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.
Criterion (iv): Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia.
Vigan is the most intact example in Asia of a planned Spanish colonial town, established in the 16th century. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those of Europe and Mexico to create a unique culture and townscape without parallels anywhere in East and South-East Asia.
The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open space, with the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The two plazas are dominated by the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall, and the Provincial Capitol Building. The urban plan of the town closely conforms with the Renaissance grid plan specified in the Ley de la Indias for all new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a noticeable difference between Vigan and contemporary Spanish colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core (known as the Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is tempered by strong Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino influences. As its name implies, this district was settled by affluent families of mixed Chinese-Ilocano origin.
The Best Practice of Public
Administration in the Cultural Conservation and Management
of the UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan
I. Introduction
The country's experience in cultural conservation
and management has been well defined by Republic Act No. 7160 in relation to cultural heritage conservation. However, the LGU's strategic opportunity
to provide the cultural conservation
effort relies as to the rich historical and cultural heritage to realign the
local governance program. The Historic Town of Vigan which was called Ciudad
Fernandina has distinct LGU creation from its conversion as a city last
December 28, 2000 and its creation through Republic Act No.8988 otherwise known
as “An Act Validating and Recognizing the Creation of the City of Vigan by the
Royal Decree of September 7, 1757, issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain.” This
was unanimously ratified in the plebiscite for the creation as Vigan City last
January 22, 2001. It must be noted that the approval of the UNESCO Heritage City
of Vigan provides the local governance support designed was validated and
recognized in the creation as a city based on the former name of the historic town
which was called Ciudad Fernandina.The validation and recognition as to its creation was based
on the Royal Decree of September 7, 1757, issued by Fernando VI, King of Spain
as the sole evidence to show the existence from its former glory as Ciudad
Fernandina with the administrative status of
Manila (Maynilad) and Cebu (Sebu) in the early 17th century
during the Spanish colonization.
The
objectives of the study to provide the extensive insights as to the best
practice in the cultural conservation management effort of the historic city of
Vigan. It specifically answers the following:
1.
To
discuss the Local Legislative
Support of the Principles and Concepts
of the Cultural Conservation and Management.
2.
To
provide the Historical, Cultural, Educational, Aesthetic and Economic
Parameters in the Preservation and Development of the Core and Buffer Zones of
the Historic City.
3.
To discuss the Cultural Preservation and
Conservation of the Vigan Ancestral Houses.
4.
To
Country Experience of the Best Practice
of the Conservation and Management in the UNESCO Heritage City of Vigan
4.1.
Conservation
and Management Effort of the Historic City
4.2.
UNESCO World
Heritage Property : The Operational Guidelines and Cultural Inscription of the Historic Centre
of Vigan
4.3.
UNESCO Best Practice in World Heritage Site
Management
Vigan
City, through the World Heritage Convention, was able to organize and empower
the local community to become primary stakeholders and keepers of their
tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The sustainability of Vigan’s
conservation management lies in its ability to engage the local stakeholders –
the owners of the heritage houses, teaching institutions, artists and
craftsmen, and business owners to instill the value of their heritage, which
stems from being the primary trading post in Northern Philippines during the
Spanish era. Throughout the decades, the local government has maintained its
focal position in engaging all stakeholders and leading development through
heritage conservation-based policies. This strategy may be useful for other
sites as Vigan has proven that empowering the community and the local
stakeholders is key on ensuring that they are committed in conserving heritage
as they are its primary guardians. ( UNESCO, 2012)
II. Local
Legislative Support of the Principles and Concepts of the Cultural Conservation and Management
The
cultural significance (Ordinance No.
14, Series of 1997) means aesthetic, economic, educational, environmental,
historic, religious, or social value of the place defined the core and buffer zones of the historic
city (Ordinance No. 12, Series of 1997) including all the group of historical
buildings and setting and associated
contents listed of Ancestral Houses and
Historical Buildings, monuments, shrines, landmark streets, plazas, open
spaces, rivers identified with cultural significance found within. This
historic city is embodied in its fabric, its setting and in people’s memory and
association of its history from its early beginning as a Southeast Asian
commercial trading posts in the 15th century to an outstanding
Spanish colonial town in the 16th -19th century to the
early American colonial period of the 20th century.
The
cultural significance also identified in the ordinance as the concept of fabric which means all the physical
materials and attributes perceived by the senses found in every nook and corner including excavation in the historic
city i.e. brick, hardwood timber, lime
mortar, capiz windows, iron grills, lamps, piedra china tiles and clay tiles, 18th century
period furniture, fauna and flora commonly found in the area like palmera,
bougainvilla, suntan, adelfa, hibiscus and cactus.
The
compatible use of fabric means a use
which involves no change to the culturally significant fabric of the historical
building. The change should be substantially reversible when needed at a latter
date. These are the related conceptual term of fabric as expounded on Section 4,
Ordinance no. 07, Series of 2006:
1.
Historical Fabric. It is the evolution of
accounts in history which dates backs from the Malays, Chinese, Indochinese,
Japanese, Mexicans, Spanish and Americans, who have influenced early settlers
of Vigan.
2.
Cultural Fabric. It is the fusion of
traditions, practices, arts, crafts of different nations.
3.
Architectural Fabric. The merging of Asian
building design and construction with European colonial Architecture and
planning.
4.
Town Fabric. Historical buildings,
landmarks, monuments, shrines, streets, plazas, open spaces, rivers identified
of cultural significance found within.
5.
House Fabric. Bricks, hardwood
timber, lime mortar, capiz windows, iron grilles, lamps, piedra china tiles and
clay tiles, 18th century furniture and furnishing, flora and fauna.
These
are the etymological generic of the cultural conservation and management in the
Local Legislation of the Historic City: (Ordinance No. 14, Series of 1997)
1.
Cultural Conservation. It means all the
processes of caring/ looking after the Historic City with the end objective of
retaining/ monitoring/ maintaining its cultural significance. It embraces
maintenance and may in some of circumstances include preservation, restoration,
reconstruction and adaptation or a combination of any one of these processes
enumerated.
2.
Cultural Preservation. It means continuously maintain the fabric of
the historic city in its existing
and present state so as to retard/ avert further deterioration in its fabric.
3.
Cultural Restoration. It means returning the
fabric of a historical building, a landmark , a monument, a shrine to a known
earlier state by removing additions or reassembling existing components without
introducing new material and without altering its cultural significance.
4.
Cultural Reconstruction. It means returning the
historical building, a landmark, a monument, a shrine , a street or a plaza to
nearly as possible to its known earlier
state. It is differentiated from restoration by the introduction of new
material as fabric but does not prelude the use of old material into the fabric
of the place.
III. The
Historical, Cultural, Educational, Aesthetic and Economic Parameters in the
Preservation and Development of the Core and Buffer Zones of the Historic City
The preliminary initiative of the LGU of Vigan
transcribes by its effort the municipal government to lay the legislative and executive support
as to the Universal Outstanding Value ( UOV) before its inscription as the
UNESCO Heritage site . In 1997, the initial legislative action as to the
conservation management of the historic city:
1.
Core Zones.The core are forms like
an L-shape. It encompasses the two plazas, Burgos and Salcedo and the formal buildings around on the northn and
northwest end; the entire Mestizo district centered on four main streets : Gov.
A Reyes Street, Plaridel Street, Crisologo Street and V. de los Reyes Street bounded by Diego
Silang on the southern end.
2.
Buffer Zone defined to provide the
authenticity of setting and protection of the core area. It includes the
Govantes River in the north, the wooded area across the Mestizo Rives on the
east, the area between Abaya street and Diego Silang on the south; includes the
Vigan Central School but excludes the
New Public Market; includes the Vigan Cemetery and some traditional timber
houses both side of the southern end of Quezon Avenue; excludes the heavily
rebuilt and commercialized section of Quezon Avenue; the area east of Sikatuna
Street between Mabini and Bonifacio Streets, the area on both sides of J.P.
Rizal Street and ends at the north bank
of Govantes river.
The
local legislative action through Ordinance No. 12, Series of 1997 which was
anchored by Republic Act No. 4846 otherwise known as the “Cultural Properties Preservation and
Protection Act” that mandated the state to protect the important cultural
properties and National Cultural Treasurer of the nation to safeguard their
intrinsic value. (Section 2, Republic Act No. 4846)
Cultural properties — are old buildings, monuments, shrines, documents, and
objects which may be classified as antiques, relics, or artifacts, landmarks,
anthropological and historical sites, and specimens of natural history which
are of cultural, historical, anthropological or scientific value and
significance to the nation; such as physical, and anthropological,
archaeological and ethnographical materials, meteorites and tektites;
historical objects and manuscripts; house and agricultural implements;
decorative articles or personal adornment; works of art such as paintings,
sculptures, carvings, jewelry, music, architecture, sketches drawings or
illustrations in part or in whole; works of industrial and commercial art such
as furniture, pottery, ceramics, wrought iron, gold, bronze, silver, wood or
other heraldic items, metals, coins, medals, badges, insignias, coat of arms,
crests, flags, arms, and armor; vehicles or ships or boats in part or in whole.
( Section 3)
The ordinance also included the Mestizo Section of
Vigan being part of the cultural properties of the nation under Presidential
Decree No. 260. However, the PD did not explicitly mentioned this policy :
Section 1. The Sta. Ana Site Museum in Manila, the
Roman Catholic Churches of Paoay and Bacarra in Ilocos Norte, the San Agustin
Church and Liturgical objects therein in Intramuros, Manila, Fort Pilar in
Zamboanga City, the Petroglyphs of the Rockshelter in Angono, Rizal, the
Petroglyphs of Alab, Bontoc, the Stone Agricultural Calendars of Dap-ay Guiday
in Besao, Bontoc, the Mummy Caves of Kabayan, Benguet and of Segada and Alab,
Bontoc, the Ifugao Rice Terraces of Banaue are hereby declared as National Cultural
Treasures along the lines of Sections 3 and 7 of R.A. 4846 defining cultural
properties and treasures, and their preservation, restoration and/or
reconstruction shall be under the supervision and control of the National
Museum in collaboration with the Department of Tourism;
Section 2. The Barasoain Church in Malolos,
Bulacan, Tirad Pass in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, the Miagao Church in Miagao,
Iloilo, the Site of the Battle of Mactan on Mactan Island in Cebu, the San
Sebastian Church in Quiapo, Manila, and the Church and Convent of Sto. Niño in
Cebu City are hereby declared as National Shrines, Monuments and/or Landmarks
in accordance with the provisions of R.A. 4368 and their preservation,
restoration and/or reconstruction shall be under the supervision and control of
the National Historical Commission in collaboration with the Department of
Tourism;
The
National Museum and National Historical Commission were provided the annual
budget to carry out the intents of this decree. Likewise, Section 5 of this
decree the provisions of R.A. 4846 and
R.A. 4368 and other laws which are inconsistent with this Decree are
accordingly modified or repealed. In 1975, in the course of Preliminary
inventory work conducted by the National Museum Vigan, Ilocos Sur was deemed to
have special significance particularly the Mestizo section and the houses of
Padre Jose Burgos and Leona Florentino (PD No. 756) that amended P.D. 260 to
include the mestizo section, the houses of Padre Jose Burgos and Leona
Florentino in its scope. The amendments of the Presidential decree was noted that trend in the modernization of
certain parts of Vigan which would eventually eat up the portions named above.
The
Legislative Action in the Defining the Core and Buffer Zones on the Historic
Town of Vigan and the Historical, Cultural, Educational, Aesthetic and Economic
Paramters of Its Preservation and Development (Ordinance No. 12, Series 1997)
relied mainly the provision of the Convention for the Protection of the World
Cultural and Natural Heritage ( World Heritage Convention, Annex III) adopted
by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972 and signed by over 145 State
Parties. By signing the convention, each country pledged to conserve cultural
and natural heritage sites of universal value on its territory on behalf of all
mankind. This reflected the initial transformation in the conservation
management of effort of the LGU of Vigan.
Historic Town of Vigan is included in the
tentative list of World Heritage Sites and must meet various criteria in
authenticity, integrity and good management of its cultural property. As such,
there is a need to provide the local legislative support to guarantee its
protection and preservation for the present and future generations.
In addition to this
clamour in the legislative action (Ordinance No. 12, Series 1997) the
declaration of policy in the conservation effort were specifically spelled out
in consonance with the mandate of World Cultural and Natural Heritage in
the1972 World Heritage Convention:
1.
The
Municipal Government of Vigan is cognizant of the universal value of the
Historic Town of Vigan.
2.
The
protection and preservation of this irreplaceable cultural heritage is in the
public interest so that its vital legacy of aesthetic, economic, educational,
environmental, historical and religious benefits will be maintained for a better understanding of our past , enrichment
of our present environment and to pass over the future generation.
3.
The
historical and cultural foundation of the Historic Town of Vigan should be
preserved as a living part of our community life and development to give the nation
a truly national identity.
IV.
The Cultural
Preservation and Conservation of the Vigan Ancestral Houses
The cultural conservation and
preservation was further strengthened by Ordinance No. 4, Series 2000 that
before the conservation, preservation or restoration work can commence a
thorough research and documentation of the building showing its original design
in accordance with Ordinance No. 14, Series of 1997.This ordinance refers
ancestral house as structures, which has been existence for not fifty years,
the architecture of which of Hispanic and Chinese influence: Furthermore, the
guidelines for the foundations of Vigan ancestral houses shall be protected and
its stability maintained through the rehabilitation of the Old Spanish drains
and catch basins.
The typology of ancestral houses
with the City of Vigan ( Ordinance No. 07, Series of 2006) consists of :(1)
Brick and Woof Type, straight façade; (2) all Brick Type; (3) Brick and Wood
with Volada; (4) American Colonial Period Type; and (5) Camarin.
The guidelines for the foundations
and repair of the Vigan ancestral houses were presented by the following
mandate: (Ordinance No, 4, Series of 2000)
1.
A
study on the topography and geology of the place to determine the impact of the
monthly tide cycle upon natural drainage and aquifers.
2.
Proper
planning of different utilities such as : drainage and sewerage systems to
determine the present and future capacity.
3.
For
slight cracking, repairing by temporary shoring of foundation and underpinning
it with concrete; repairing of walls by brick wall with lime mortar, and if
necessary, by replastering the underground wall.
4.
For
severe cracking or complete separation of the wall and foundation, repairing by
using the strap foundation technique, which is a more complicated structural
repair approach.
The
ordinance provided specific guidelines for ground floor , walls, doors,
windows, stair cases, electrical wiring and mechanical systems, roof ceilings,
architectural ornamentations, signages, paint, open spaces, streetscapes.
The
creation of Vigan Conservation Council to protect and conserve the Vigan
Ancestral Houses ( Section 17)
1.
To
formulate, recommend, evaluate and approve development plans, policies and
programs relating to the conservation and development of the Core and Buffer
Zones of the Historic District in Vigan.
2.
To
serve as an advisory council to the Sangguniang Bayan on conservation matters.
3.
Monitor
the conservation, upkeep and maintenance of historical buildings, public areas,
open spaces, streets and rivers found within the core and buffer zone as
defined by Ordinance No. 12 and 14 both of 1997 and recommend appropriate
actions to be taken for the preservation thereof.
4.
Assist
the building official/municipal engineer in the implementation of laws,
ordinances, and policies relative to the protection of the ancestral houses and
other historic structures within the core and buffer zones.
5.
Exercise
all powers necessary or incidental of conservation objectives including the
power to review, recommend or disapprove construction projects within the
historic district.
6.
Serve
as the clearing house for all applicants for Building Permit within the
Historic District and refer such applicants to the National Museum or the
National Historical Institute as the case maybe, for their clearance based on
the issuance of the VCCs Certificate of Approval.
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