Author: ICOMOS Philippines

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Drafting of the Philippine Heritage Charter with local heritage experts and ICOMOS Philippines

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the International Council on Monuments and Sites Philippines held a consultation with experts and advocates of heritage last September 8-9, 2016, at Silid Darangen, NCCA Building, Intramuros, Manila City.

The consultation session was the first of the series of consultations that will happen all over the country in the coming years. The leveling consultations gathered local experts from NCR, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to work together in redefining Philippine Heritage that is more comprehensible to Filipinos. It was aimed at further understanding of Philippine Heritage sensibilities, priorities, and therefore implementation of a Philippine Heritage Charter. ICOMOS Philippines member Patricia Maria Santiago served as the project director of the initiative.

Source: https://uapnational.wixsite.com/kyponline/single-post/2016/09/21/Philippine-Heritage-Charter—Levelling-Off-Consultation

The said event was participated participated by several ICOMOS Philippines members, which is shown in the photo above: Melva Java, Fernando Zialcita, Augusto Villalon, Dominic Galicia, Tracey Santiago, Kara Garilao, Claudia Montero, Christian Aguilar, Ivan Henares, Tina Paterno, Chen Mencias, Cheek Fadriquela, Markel Luna, Manuel, Singson, Victor Venida, and Richard Daenos.

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ICOMOS Talks: UNESCO World Heritage – Perspectives from the Field

ICOMOS Talks: UNESCO World Heritage – Perspectives from the Field
8 August 2016 (Monday) | 1PM (Manila City, Philippines)

ICOMOS is one of the key advisory bodies to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and members of the organisation are dedicated to the stewardship of the world’s significant monuments and sites, and the dissemination of pertinent knowledge.

For this year’s World Heritage Committee meeting held in Istanbul, Turkey, ICOMOS Philippines supported the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines for evaluating various World Heritage nominations and reviewing the states of conservation reports. The Philippines is one of the members of World Heritage Committee from 2013 to 2017.

International conservation practitioners Augusto Villalon, Bojer Capati, Gabriel Caballero, Eric Zerrudo, and Michael Manalo will discuss triumphs, challenges, and guidelines that could better Philippine heritage policy and management.

  • Augusto Villalon, “The Benefits of the World Heritage Convention to Sites, People and Culture”
  • Gabriel Caballero, “Unraveling World Heritage: Breaking Down the Concept of Outstanding Universal Value”
  • Bojer Capati, “Safeguarding OUV (Outstanding Universal Value): Zonation Method for Heritage Sites”
  • Michael Manalo, “Damming It Up: Recent Case Studies in World Heritage and their Philippine Parallels“
  • Eric Zerrudo, “The Concept of Sustainability in Philippine World Heritage Sites“

The event will be on August 8 (Monday), 1PM, at the National Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium, P. Burgos Drive, Manila City.

Registration fee for ICOMOS Members, as well for students and faculty with valid school ID, is PHP 200. For others and the general public, registration fee is PHP 400. To reserve seats, email info@icomosphilippines.com.

The image on the poster is of Alhambra in Granada, Spain, inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984.

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ICOMOS Talks: Inside Out – Methods and Case Studies for the Retrieval of Architectural Interiors

ICOMOS Talks: Inside Out – Methods and Case Studies for the Retrieval of Architectural Interiors
16 July 2016 (Saturday) | 9AM-12NN (Makati City, Philippines)

Experts will discuss interior design and architectural conservation, within the context of the magisterial exhibit, “Filipinos in the Gilded Age” featuring masterpieces by Juan Luna, Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, and Rafael Enriquez.

The event will be on July 16 (Saturday), from 9AM-12NN, at the Leon Gallery, Corinthian Plaza, Paseo de Roxas corner Gamboa St., Legazpi Village, Makati City.

Registration fee for ICOMOS Philippines Members and HCS Members is PHP 150. For non-members, registration fee is PHP 250. Registration is inclusive of snacks.

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Seminar on Heritage Conservation, Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism

The Alliance Francaise de Manille held the Seminar on Heritage Conservation, Contemporary Architecture and Urbanism last March 15-16, 2016, at the National Museum of the Philippines Auditorium, Manila City.

The seminar brought together leading French and Filipino experts who presented different topics on heritage, architecture, urban development, and other related themes. Prof. Eric Zerrudo served as moderator for the two-day workshop.

ICOMOS Philippines was one of the partner organizations that supported the event, with ICOMOS Philippines President Arch. Dominic Galicia doing a presentation entitled, “Escolta, the Conscience of a Mega City”, and also a roundtable discussion on “Urban Planning in the Philippines: The bigger picture” with other members Augusto Villalon and Paulo Alcazaren, together with Julia Nebrija.

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Completion of the International Symposium on Seismic Retrofit of Unreinforced Masonry Heritage Churches in the Philippines

Check out some photos of the recently concluded International Symposium on Seismic Retrofit of Unreinforced Masonry Heritage Churches in the Philippines held at the National Museum of the Philippines last January 13-14, 2016.

Former ICOMOS President Augusto Villalon was part of the panel of speakers where he shared a statement of the importance of historic preservation in the Philippine context. Other experts such as architectural historian Regalado Trota Jose, conservation architect Rohit Jugyasu from India, structural engineer and Architect Stephen Kelley from the USA were part of the discussion. ICOMOS member and President of Bakas Pilipinas Roz Zacarias Li served as symposium moderator.

The event was organised by ICOMOS Philippines with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Museum of the Philippines, Bakas Pilipinas, and the University of Santo Tomas – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (UST-CCCPET)

Both photos are credited to Bakas Pilipinas.

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ICOMOS Philippines General Assembly 2016

Continuing a tradition that started last year, ICOMOS Philippines held its first meeting of the year at this icon of modern Philippine architecture, the home of the late National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio, at 2650 Zamora Street, Pasay City.

The first meeting and general assembly of 2016 (February 6, Saturday) was energetic and productive, with Bojer Capati doing a presentation about heritage fortifications.

The meeting was fueled by the delicious brunch prepared by Malu Antonio Veloso (third from right in photo), champion and protector of her father’s architectural legacy.

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IN MEMORIAM: Rene Luis Mata

In Memoriam

Rene Luis S. Mata

August 25, 1953 – January 30, 2016

Arch. Rene Luis S. Mata, was a beloved educator and heritage advocate who molded a generation of practitioners in the field of architectural restoration, history and theory. He served as Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Architecture and has taught at the university since 2002.

Arch. Mata was part of the National Committee for Monuments and Sites, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) for several terms, first in 1992, as a representative of Intramuros Administration, second in 2014 as a representative of Heritage Conservation Society and at the time of his passing, he was the incumbent Vice-Head of the said committee as individual member. Arch Mata also served as Vice President for National Affairs for ICOMOS Philippines under the presidency of Arch. Dominic Galicia. Aside from his many institutional roles, Arch. Mata was involved in several heritage conservation projects for heritage towns like Sariaya, Quezon. He also served as an expert reviewer who did World Heritage mission report for ICOMOS International for the Hidden Christian Sites in Nagasaki, Japan. More information of his publications can be found in the UPCA website.

Jojo, as colleagues will call him, graduated in 2002 as an AECI Scholar at the University of Alcala- Henares in Madrid, Spain, where he took his Masters of Architectural Restoration and Rehabilitation of Patrimony. His graduate research focused on the rehabilitation of the San Agustin Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. He received his undergraduate training in Architecture from the University of the Philippines in 1980.

He was a heritage advocate to the very end, doing an assessment of the historic train stations in Naga and Lucena for possible conservation when he succumbed to a heart atttack. He passed away doing what he enjoyed the most: protecting heritage for future generations. The testimonials of ICOMOS members Dominic Galicia, Ivan Henares, Augusto VIllalon, Patricia Santiago, Tats Rejannte Manahan and Kay Maliliong can be found below.

Jojo is survived by his parents Carmelito P. Mata and Lourdes Sevilla Mata, and his siblings Jennina Elena S. Mata-Joven, Rolando Alberto S. Mata, Ricardo Gabriel Felipe S. Mata, Raphael Vicente S. Mata and Raul Carmelo S. Mata.

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International Symposium: Seismic Retrofit of Unreinforced Masonry Heritage Churches in the Philippines

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Museum of the Philippines, Bakas Pilipinas, ICOMOS Philippines, and the University of Santo Tomas – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics invite everyone to the upcoming International Symposium on “Seismic Retrofit of Unreinforced Masonry Heritage Churches in the Philippines” on January 13-14, 2016, at the National Museum of the Philippines in Ermita, Manila City.

For those interested, kindly register on or before January 7 by paying the registration fee (PHP 2,500 for professionals, PHP 1,500 for students) to ICOMOS Philippines BPI Current Account: 003271030028.

For inquiries, please send us an email at seismic.symposium2016@gmail.com or call us (63) 948 0112630 / (63) 917 5554633. Look for Ms. Sheila de la Paz.

To view the Symposium Program and List of Speakers, go to www.bakaspilipinas.wordpress.com.

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ICOMOS Philippines Statement on the death of Pamana

On 19 August 2015, the world was greeted with the shocking news of the death of Pamana, a Philippine Eagle, Pithecophaga jefferyi, released in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, in Davao Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines.  Pamana’s murder sparked outrage worldwide.

Ironically, Pamana, after surviving gunshot wounds in 2012 and being rehabilitated to good health by the Philippine Eagle Foundation, was released on 12 June 2015 in Mt. Hamiguitan as part of Philippine Independence Day Celebrations, with Pamana’s release a symbol of the country’s right to fly free again. Pamana’s freedom was short-lived, once again cut short by gunshot wounds.

Pamana is the Filipino word for Heritage.  Pamana’s death diminishes us all. As a species found only in the Philippines, Pamana is not only a national treasure of the Philippines, but it is part of the world’s living heritage as well.  Thus, if the Philippine Eagle goes extinct, it is not only the Filipino people’s loss but humanity’s loss as well; if it goes extinct, the world will never see a Philippine Eagle fly majestically ever again.  Ensuring that Philippine Eagles do not go extinct is a global responsibility.

Pamana’s death is laden with ironies: surviving gunshot wounds and being shot again to death inside a declared Wildlife Sanctuary and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where we supposed it would live the rest of its natural life in safety and security. We were wrong.  Philippine Eagles need more than a physically secure place to live in. Given their precarious state, they need human understanding that they are better off left alone.  We should commit to providing conditions that would ensure that they are left alone and unmolested.

ICOMOS Philippines stands in solidarity with the Philippine Eagle Foundation, the Biodiversity Management Bureau of  DENR, or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Filipino people in our fight to ensure the survival of the Philippine Eagle for all humanity’s benefit.  We also realize that UNESCO World Heritage Sites, like the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, are much more than physical monuments for humanity to enjoy, but are a living heritage that should provide sanctuary to all life found therein.  We commit to take positive action that would help ensure that the shooting of Pamana would be the last, and for Philippine Eagles to fly free.