ILOILO City – The public plaza of Alimodian, Iloilo is an “important cultural property”, according to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).
The proposed P4.6-million multipurpose building at the plaza must therefore be moved elsewhere, stressed NHCP chairperson Rene Escalante in a letter to Mayor Geefre Alonsabe.
The plaza in Barangay Poblacion was already over 50 years old and 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.
Mayor Alonsabe said he would send a reply to the NHCP stressing the multipurpose building’s importance.
Majority of the people support the project, he added, citing the Aug. 1 public consultation held concerning it.
According to Alonsabe, the building would house the municipal tourism office and pasalubong center and would serve as an evacuation center in times of calamities.
The building could be used, too, for indoor activities such as sports competitions and cultural shows, he added.
Alonsabe also said it would be difficult to look for another area where to construct the building.
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.
Meanwhile, veteran journalist Nereo Lujan shared some historical tidbits about the Alimodian plaza on Facebook:
“When was the plaza of Alimodian built?
“I have not found any record but I assume it was before 1928 because it was mentioned in the book ‘The Sunshine of Manila’ (1928) by Reverend Father Miguel Selga, S. J., director of the Manila Observatory during the period 1926-1946.
“Selga (1879-1956), a Spanish Jesuit priest who studied astronomy at Harvard University, described the plaza of Alimodian as ‘large and free from high trees.’
“‘The whole town with its church and presidencia is surrounded by the Galing Hills planted with high bamboos,’ wrote Selga, also a meteorology professor at the University of the Philippines.”
Lujan also posted on Facabook a photo of the plaza of Alimodian taken by Pedro Casanave (1867-1948), an American photographer who resided in Iloilo from 1905 to 1942.
According to him, it was published on page 180 of the “1937 Panay Directory and Souvenir Book” and “most certain, it was taken a year or two before the book came off the press.”/PN
