Solon asks: What constitutes a heritage zone?
As a House panel takes on a proposed measure to declare F. Mercado and J.P. Rizal Streets in Jose Rizal’s birthplace of Calamba City as historical and cultural zones, a lawmaker on Tuesday, Oct. 11, inquired about the criteria for declaring a street a heritage zone.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro asked National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chair Dr. Rene Escalante, also the chairperson of the National Historic Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), about the considerations for declaring a street a heritage zone following the filing of House Bill (HB) 2368, or “An Act Declaring F. Mercado and J.P. Rizal Sts. in the City of Calamba, Province of Laguna as Historical and Cultural Zones".
The measure was proposed by Calamba City lone district Rep. Charisse Anne Hernandez, who, in the bill’s explanatory note, said that Calamba City “has a meaningful history and rich cultural heritage” and as such, the F. Mercado and JP Rizal Streets should be declared as historical and cultural zones, too.
Escalante cited there are some “guidelines” to be followed.
One, the street should house “some old structures there and these structures should contain outstanding architectural elements".
Two, the place should have “historical significance” but since Calamba City was the birthplace of Rizal, then there would be “no issue” for it to fall under this criteria, the NCCA chief added.
The Rizal Shrine in Calamba City is also located along Mercado Street and Rizal Street.
“Most of the time, because of tourism purposes, the presence of structures with outstanding architectural designs is a major factor that affects whether we will declare a particular site a heritage zone or not,” Escalante explained during Tuesday's House Committee on Basic Education and Culture hearing.
The NCCA chief, who also sits as NHCP chair, inquired if there was “consultation” done “as far as the affected building owners are concerned” in these streets.
He also pointed out the importance for the Calamba local government unity (LGU) “to come up with a resolution supporting the declaration and it would be good also if they can offer incentives to those people who will be affected".
Escalante furthered that the proposed bill should clarify if all buildings along the streets would be declared “because this will have some impact on regulatory functions of the cultural agencies".
A public consultation should be organized to avoid problems in the coming days, he added.
Hernandez said that the landmarks need to be preserved and made known to Filipinos and tourists all over the world.
“With the passage of this bill, it is intended that the Department of Tourism (DOT) and other suitable agencies would be able to put into place long-term plans to advertise and protect these cultural treasures, allowing cultural tourism to thrive,” the bill’s explanatory added.
Once declared heritage zones, the DOT—with the National Historical Institute, the National Museum, and other government agencies—will prioritize their development as tourist zones.