ILOILO – Mayor Geefre Alonsabe of Alimodian town urged the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to inspect his municipality’s public plaza.
The municipal government has a P4.6-million multipurpose building project at the plaza but Alonsabe temporarily suspended its construction after some quarters protested.
According to the protesters, the plaza could already be considered a heritage site due to its being over half a century old.
Alonsabe said NHCP should settle the matter once and for all and an inspection of the plaza was imperative.
He, however, said NHCP chairperson Rene Escalante on Aug. 15 told him the Commission was still discussing the request.
“I challenge them agud Makita nila ang sitwasyon,” said Alonsabe, adding that the municipal government does not have any document certifying its public plaza as a heritage property.
Late last month, NHCP wrote the municipal government that the public plaza of Alimodian was an “important cultural property”, thus the proposed multipurpose building must be moved elsewhere.
The plaza in Barangay Poblacion was already an integral part of Alimodian’s heritage, explained Escalante.
The Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Region 6’s Iloilo 4th District Engineering Office started constructing the building on July 12. Concerned residents alerted the NHCP.
The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (Republic Act 10066) defines “important cultural property” as “cultural property having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the Philippines, as shall be determined by the National Museum and/or National Historical Institute.”
Its Article III, Section 5 protects important cultural properties from exportation, modification or demolition.
“We advise the municipal government of Alimodian to look for a different site to build the multipurpose building or any similar permanent structures other than the existing town plaza,” stated NHCP.
The commission also cited DPWH Memorandum Circular No. 02-2018 issued by Secretary Mark Villar on April 13, 2018 calling the attention of “all concerned agencies” such as the DPWH and Department of Interior and Local Government, among others.
According to the memo, they must “strictly comply” with Section 32 of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 to consult, coordinate and work closely with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and national cultural agencies regarding any construction, renovation, retrofitting or demolition activities affecting the integrity of historical and cultural sites and structures.
A group of residents calling itself “Concerned Alimodiananon” raised the following arguments to the NHCP:
* Alimodian’s public plaza is a sacred public space, and any modification must appeal to the sensitivities of the public. It is, in itself, a multipurpose space where, in its clearly delineated “halls,” leisure, social and recreational interactions take place. As a public space, consultation with the community is both legally and morally imperative.
* The plaza speaks to the identity and communal experience of all Alimodiananons. It is distinguishable in character from other town plazas, and presents an image of the townsfolk to non-Alimodiananons.
* The plaza is a heritage space. It is a part of the collective memory of all Alimodiananons./PN
