JAN.

3, 2015

NR # 3700B

Solon wants historical and cultural devaluation of

cultural properties in Manila probed
Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry L. Ridon has asked the House Committee on Metro
Manila Development to investigate the historical and cultural devaluation of several
cultural properties in Manila due to neglect or demolition for multibillion-property
development.
In House Resolution 1566, Ridon mentioned in particular the Army Navy Club, the
old Meralco building, the Anda Circle, the Philippine Post Office, the Manila Metropolitan
Theater and El Hogar Filipino as among the cultural properties in Manila that suffer from
cultural and historical devaluation.
Ridon said the internal structure of Army Navy Club along Roxas Blvd., established
in 1909 to serve as an exclusive social haven for US soldiers during their occupation, was
demolished to pave way for its redevelopment into a boutique hotel.
The demolition, denounced by the National Historical Commission of the
Philippines (NHCP), is a clear violation of the National Heritage and Cultural Act, which
provides for the cultural preservation as a strategy of maintaining Filipino identity, Ridon
said. The club was hailed a national historical landmark by cultural agencies in 1991.
The Oceanville Hotel and Spa Corporation is in charge of developing the Army and
Navy Club building while AMH Philippines is responsible for the structural assessment of
the building.
Ridon said the old Meralco building in San Marcelino St., which dates more than 50
years old and considered as an important cultural property, was demolished in 2013
despite clamor of heritage activists for the adaptive reuse of the building.
The building was designed by Juan Arellano and featured the art deco style. Aside
from the architectural craftsmanship, the faade of this building used to house the bas
relief Furies sculpted by Italian artist expatriate Francesco Riccardo Monti, Ridon said.
In the same vein, Ridon said the Department of Public Works and Highways plans
to demolish the Anda circle located at the boundary of Intramuros and Port area and
transfer the monument to ease up the traffic congestion in Metro Manila.
The monument was constructed in 187 upon the orders of then Governor General
Maria dela Torre in honor of Simon de Anda y Salazar who served as the governor general
of the Philippines from 1770 to 1776. Anda was said to have rebelled against British
invaders and led a resistance movement when he fled to Bulacan and Pampanga. He

likewise denounced the King of Spain for subjecting the Philippines in deplorable
conditions.
As for the PhilPost Office in Lawton, there is a plan by a construction firm that built
the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore to redevelop the building into a hotel under Publicprivate Partnership or PPP, Ridon said.
Fronted by the iconic structure of national hero Andres Bonifacio, the building
served as the main administrative office PhilPost for 86 years. It boasts of a neoclassical
style and was built in 1926 and survived World War II, according to Ridon.
Meanwhile, Ridon said, the Manila Metropolitan Theater formerly known as the
Grand Old Dame of Manila Theater was once the center of cultural arts in the country and
etched its name in history as the home of Zarzuelas in the 1930s.
The restoration for the MET, hailed a national treasure by the National Museum in
2010, has been impeded by a dispute regarding the ownership of the cultural property
between the local city government and the Government Service Insurance System.
Because of the sluggish dispute settlement, the MET is compelled to sit idly, its beauty
and cultural prestige withering away through time, Ridon said.
As for El Hogar Filipino, the NHCP has been pushing since 2012 for the adaptive
reuse of the building constructed in 1914 at the corner of Juan Luna and Muelle de
Industria Sts. in Binondo, Ridon said. The news of demolition of El Hogar Filipino came
out in February 2014 when tenants were asked to move out of the building.
According to Ridon, the weak implementation of laws contributes to the historicalcultural devaluation of cultural projects.
Loose preservation, conservation and restoration plans and actual work on national
treasures and cultural properties makes these vulnerable to deterioration. Congress must
act as a steward for the protection and preservation of cultural properties by ensuring that
laws intended for such purpose are enforced and violations and violators should be held
liable, Ridon said. (30) mrs