UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) for the Historic City of Vigan Teams and Experts
Team Members and Experts for the Post-Earthquake Technical Standard Enhancement on the Conservation and Protection of the Heritage Houses and Structures in the Historic City of Vigan World Heritage Site (WHS), Ilocos Sur, Republic of the Philippines
icomos PHILIPPINES project management EXPERT team
Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, PhDAgSci Std.
Country Project Director
UNESCO HEF Focal Point
Dr. Cheek Fadriquela
Board Trustee (Team Member)
Mr. Joselito Corpus, MSHP
Communications Officer
Ms. Carissa Veloso
Project Manager
Ar. Anjelika Orui, MProp std.
Project Associate
The ICOMOS Philippines Project Management (PM) team is composed of a diverse group of individuals, each carefully selected for their unique skills to address the needs of the complex project. The team includes President of ICOMOS Philippines, Cheek Fadriquela, recognized as the country’s foremost expert in wood conservation and is also leading the materials conservation expert team of the project. Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, the country project director, who oversees the entire management of the project and is the focal point of the HEF to UNESCO, he is a conservation management architect trained in Europe and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree specializing in heritage and environmental economics and is training as an economic scientist.
Ms. Carissa Veloso, local project manager responsible for all logistics and reporting, brings her background in managing cultural non-profits, with experience in working on grants, and is currently doing appraisal work for Filipino fine art. Ar. Anjelika Orui, project associate, contributes her skills in graphics and layout, and provides logistical support. She was part of the initial ICOMOS assessment mission in Vigan and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Property Development in Melbourne, Australia. Lastly, Joselito “JJ” Corpus, communications officer, is a graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, where he specialized in architectural conservation and disaster risk management and risk communication. JJ co-leads the implementation of the VCAP – Visibility and Communication Action Plan for the project.
HERITAGE CONSERVATION (local manual review) EXPERT TEAM
Ar. / EnP. Fatima Nicetas Rabang-Alonzo, PhD, FUAP, PIEP, CHCS
Heritage Conservation (Local Manual Review) Expert
Ar. Giunno Alonzo
Heritage Conservation (Local Manual Review) Team Member
Ar. Dempsey Paz
Heritage Conservation (Local Manual Review) Member
The Local Manual Review Expert Team is a proud Bigueña / Bigueño from the UNESCO World Heritage City of Vigan. Lead by Ar. Fatima Rabang-Alonzo together with Ar. Giunno and Ar. Dempsey, known by many as Dean Fatima is a Licensed Architect and Environmental Planner, holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Studies, and is a true-blue academician who has spent 38 years at the University of Northern Philippines, Vigan City, currently as Dean of the College of Architecture.
She was Architect Co-Team Leader in the formulation of the Vigan Master Plan from 1999-2001; Consultant in the formulation of the Conservation and Preservation Guidelines for Vigan Ancestral Houses enacted Ordinance No. 4, s. 2000, amended twice to evolve as Vigan Conservation Code of 2006; Main Contributor in the 2010 UNESCO Homeowners’ Preservation Manual for Vigan City, and Principal Investigator in the Toyota Foundation project, An Inventory of 120 Ancestral Houses in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. Active involvement in local heritage conservation endeavors earned her the 2020 Father Jose Burgos Award, Field of Heritage Conservation and Research from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur; 2018 Bigueño of the Year Award for Heritage Conservation Endeavors from the City Government of Vigan; 2017; and 2014 Bigueña Achiever Award for Education from the City Government of Vigan.
Structural Engineering Conservation Expert Team
Engr. Rodolfo Mendoza Jr., D.Eng.
Structural engineering Conservation Expert
Engr. Joaquin Miguel Ramos
Lead Conservation Engineer
Engr. Kenneth Roi Toral
Lead Structural Engineer
Engr. Lynser Abanzado
BIM Engineer
Engr. Joyce Anne Purugganan
Graduate Structural Engineer
Engr. Lessandro Estelito Garciano, D.Eng.
Lead, Risk Assessment
Engr. Lennie Luceño
Lead BIM Engineer
Engr. Jemma Obalobao
BIM Engineer
Engr. Izzhar Christian Sumagaysay
Geotechnical Engineer
Engr. Christine Abegail Panti
Graduate Structural Engineer
Led by ICOMOS member Engr. Rodolfo Mendoza Jr. together with Petro Jikken, Inc. He has over 13 years of professional experience in structural engineering and consulting. His proficiency encompasses marine engineering design, building structural engineering design, and the assessment of existing structures. Noteworthy accomplishments include the design of a 66-story high-rise building, specifically pertaining to the block support for the damper-outrigger system. In the realm of marine engineering, his expertise extends to the structural design and evaluation of jetties, piers, wharves, dolphins, seawalls, revetments, and mooring dolphins.
Furthermore, Mr. Mendoza has played a pivotal role in various heritage conservation undertakings. He serves as the the structural engineer of the structural restoration of the San Sebastian Basilica, a national cultural treasure in the Philippines; the Botocan Dam in Laguna, which is the oldest dam in the Philippines; and the National Museum for Natural History. He is also part of the Cultural Heritage Resilience & Sustainability to multiple Hazards (CHeRiSH) research project which aims to propose an advanced, harmonized, and engineering-based risk and resilience assessment framework for cultural heritage (CH) assets in the Philippines exposed to multiple natural hazards.
MATERIALS CONSERVATION ANALYSIS EXPERT TEAM
Dr. Cheek S. Fadriquela, PhD
Materials Conservation Expert / Materials Conservation Specialist
Ms. Lilia Rosa Rejante-Manahan
Lime Plaster Specialist
For. Mark Darius C. Eco
Collaborating Forester
Mr. Eric T. Miranda, PhD Cand.
Collaborating Materials Scientist
Mr. Jan-Michael C. Cayme, PhD Cand.
Collaborating Chemist
Led by ICOMOS member Dr. Cheek Fadriquela with collaborating materials scientists, forrester and lime specialist. Dr. Fadriquela is an Assistant Professor at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School, specializing in Cultural Heritage Studies. He holds a PhD in Forestry from the University of the Philippines Los Baños and a Master’s degree in Cultural Heritage Studies from the University of Santo Tomas.
His international endeavors include training in Norway and research grants in Spain, leading to his work “Kahoy: Wood in the Philippines.” He was also a scholar in Japan, conducting research on advanced materials.
Dr. Fadriquela is deeply interested in disaster risk management in cultural heritage sites. He contributed to the World Bank-funded assessment of heritage structures and developed a conservation plan with a risk assessment component. He holds key positions in organizations such as the International Committee on Monuments and Sites Philippines and the ICOMOS International Wood Committee, leading projects on disaster damage assessment.
He pioneers a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Cultural Heritage course at the University of Northern Philippines.
ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION EXPERT TEAM
Ar. Michael F. Manalo, M.Arch.
Architectural Conservation Expert
Ar. Kenneth Chester Moyano
Architectural Conservation Team Member
Ar. Ma. Jenefry Sarte
Architectural Conservation Team Member
Led by ICOMOS member Ar. Mico Manalo with MNL Solutions, Inc. He specializes in built environment conservation, has been an ICOMOS Philippines member since 2008. He holds an architecture degree from the University of Santo Tomas and a Master’s in Architectural Conservation from the Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía in Mexico City.
He served as the commissioner for culture of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016 and was part of the Philippine Delegation during its membership in the World Heritage Committee. He was the Executive Director of the Escuela Taller in Intramuros from 2008 to 2013, a member of the Executive Committee of the National Committee for Monuments and Sites of the NCCA from 2016 to 2022, and headed the Subcommission for Cultural Heritage from 2020 to 2022.
Ar. Manalo headed the Culture Committee of the UNESCO National Commission for the Philippines from 2010 to 2016 and currently teaches in the University of Santo Tomas’ Graduate program in Cultural Heritage Studies. His research focuses on colonial architecture and interiors in the Philippines (1580-1945), specifically in Manila, Northern Luzon, and the Visayas, exploring aesthetics, technology, transcultural aspects, and their historical and daily life connections. He has also led the creation of conservation management plans, including those for the San Sebastián Basilica, Manila Central Post Office Building, and contributed to the CMP for the Walled City of Intramuros.
heritage conservation (training-workshop) expert team
Dr. Eric B. Zerrudo, PhDDVST
Heritage Conservation Training-Workshop Expert
Ms. Beverly Macayan-Bautista
Heritage Conservation Training-Workshop Team Member
Led by ICOMOS member Dr. Eric Zerrudo with USTGS-CCCPET. The University of Santo Tomas Graduate School – Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET) is the heritage conservation and sustainable development of UST. The core of the center’s services includes consultancy, researches, trainings, workshops and publication ensuring that cultural heritage, specifically in the tropics is taken care of. USTGS-CCCPET believes that in order to achieve such an enormous task, the Center needs to establish partnership with local, national, and international organizations in the cultural heritage sector. The Center is headed by Prof. Eric B. Zerrudo with expertise in cultural heritage management, cultural heritage mapping, and museum development.
HERITAGE INTERPRETATION-CURATOR AND LEGAL EXPERTS
Dr. Laya Boquiren - Gonzales, PhDPS
Heritage Interpretation-Curator
Atty. Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto
Legal Counsel
ICOMOS member Dr. Laya Boquiren – Gonzales is the project’s heritage interpretation – curator expert, she has a Doctor of Philosophy in Philippine Studies from the University of the Philippines Diliman Tricollege Program and has authored several books in Philippine arts and culture. She engages in research and interpretive projects on the interlinkages of tangible and intangible cultural heritage for sustainable development. She was the former Deputy Executive Director of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, currently, she is the Chairperson of the Arts Department of the University of Asia and the Pacific. In addition, she is ICOMOS Philippines permanent representative at the National Economic and Development Authority Stakeholders Chamber for the Sustainable Development Goals. She remains a member of the International Council of Museums and was a Trustee of the Heritage Conservation Society.
ICOMOS member Atty. Lucille Karen “Kay” E. Malilong – Isberto, is a lawyer with advocacies in forest and cultural heritage preservation. She holds degrees in law and economics from the University of the Philippines Diliman. She previously headed the National Committee on Monuments and Sites of National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) from 2014 to 2016 . She was Chairperson and later Executive Director of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation from 2019 to 2021, and is currently a Vice President of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Legal, Administrative and Financial Issues or ICLAFI.