If these walls could talk: Preserving PHL heritage sites

Once home to a 19th-century sugar baron, Silay City's Balay Negrense was saved from disrepair when it was turned into Negros Occidental's first museum in 1990. Balay Negrense is now the most famous heritage house in the city, which has the most number of heritage houses to be declared as National Treasure by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. 

 

Built in 1897, Balay Negrense bore witness to the lavish haciendero lifestyle. However, after being abandoned for years, the mansion deteriorated.

 

"Puno ng talahib dito. Punong-puno ng talahib. Twelve years of nobody taking care of it took its toll. One day, nahulog na lang basta 'yung lugar doon. That one corner there, it just fell," Lynn Gamboa, president of the Negros Cultural Foundation," said in a report on GMA News' Balitanghali on January 14.

 

With help from the Department of Tourism, the house was repaired in 1989. Today, there are two more heritage houses that serve as museums in Silay, while others were converted into shops, bakeries, and other establishments.

 

The Philippines has five UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites, and 190 historical sites recognized by the NHCP, the report said.

Among these is the Bahay Alberto in Biñan, Laguna, where Teodora Alonso, the mother of national hero Jose Rizal, once lived. 

 

Built in the 1800s, the two-storey house with a floor area of about 600 square meters was owned by the family of Jose Alberto Alonso, the father of Rizal’s mother. However, the 200-year-old ancestral home is now falling apart, with part of its roof collapsing last October. Only its shell remains after its parts were transferred to Bataan, where it will be rebuilt by its new owner.

 

Under Sec. 7 of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, the government must prioritize funding for the preservation and protection of historical sites. In case the owner cannot afford to maintain the house, NHCP is responsible. However, NHCP's budget of P8,818,000 is hardly enough.

 

"Ang pondo ng gobyerno ay kulang na kulang. Marami pa silang ibang problema na dapat bigyan ng allocation ng pera ng pamahalaan," Architect Luisa Valerio of the NHCP said on Balitanghali.

 

In a country where tourism contributes much to the economy, heritage sites can help in the development of provinces such as Vigan, where tourists are drawn to the well-preserved 19th century ancestral houses.

 

"Identity natin ito bilang Pilipino. Kung mayroon silang Eiffel Tower sa Paris, then they care about it. We also have to care for our own," a Vigan resident said in the report. 

 

According to the report, local ordinances play a big role in maintaining the historic structures in the Spanish colonial town, as well as its overall look. "'Pag nagpatayo ka ng bahay dito sa malapit ng mga lumang bahay, ganyan din ang hitsura. Bagong bahay pero ang design niya lumang bahay rin," a resident said.

 

For those who have a hard time maintaining ancestral homes, owners are able to maintain the homes through tourism. "'Yung kinikita po nitong bahay, dito lang siya umiikot, pangbayad ng bills, pang-maintain, tapos kung ano 'yung nasisira, pinapaayos namin," Maricris Pandoro, a caretaker of a heritage house, said.

 

Houses that are already destroyed are not wasted, either, as the wood is saved and used to repair other houses. "Kapag bagong kahoy ang nilagay mo, madali lang masira. Aanayin lang siya. Kasi 'yung mga lumang kahoy matitigas sila," Pandoro said. 

 

Vigan has kept its reputation as a living museum, and its Old World charm makes it a popular travel destination in the country.

 

"Our own heritage, it comes from there. If you really value it, you are committed to it, then you'll probably take the effort or the initiative to now do the necessary work in order to get it further recognized," Dr. Virginia Miralao, Secretary General of UNESCO-Philippines, said. —Carmela G. Lapeña/KG, GMA News