MANILA, Philippines -- The Manila City Council has declared Xavier House of the Society of Jesus in Sta. Ana district a historical landmark, further squelching speculation that it would be torn down and turned into a shopping mall.
Xavier House, home to many retired Jesuit priests—including people power icon Father James Reuter—was a broadcast hub during the 1986 Edsa Revolution.
Under a new city council ordinance, the property, located on Pedro Gil Street a few meters from the Sta. Ana Church and the main square, Plaza Felipe Calderon, will be placed under the preservation and conservation program of the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission.
The city engineer’s office was directed not to issue demolition permits on the property.
“All plans and specifications for future construction, repair and renovation of the Xavier House structure should pass prior approval from the Manila Historical and Heritage Commission before any building or renovation permit may be issued by the city engineer’s office,” the ordinance said.
Apart from its historical significance to the country, what is remarkable about the 19th century structure, whose main entrance faces the Pasig River, is its grandiose architecture. Its walls are made of adobe stones and its floor is laid with decorative tiles coupled with narra wooden panels, the city ordinance pointed out.
“There is a need to protect such a noteworthy structure from any attempt to deface or demolish it in the name of commercial development, hence, maintaining its chronological importance as part of Sta. Ana’s historical district,” said Councilor Danilo Victor Lacuna Jr., adding that its protection was “most imperative and highly justified.”
During the 1986 People Power revolt, Reuter set up and directed the “Radyo Bandido” broadcast that bolstered the Filipino’s courage to overthrow the 20-year Marcos dictatorship, he said.
It was where Reuter’s theater students set up an underground radio station to keep the country and the world informed about the popular uprising.
There were rumors of the sale of Xavier House to a mall developer earlier this year due to the religious society’s reported financial difficulties. Reuter, now frail and in his 90s, was quoted in a published interview as saying that he did not want to leave the house he had lived in for over 40 years, and that “the memorial that the Jesuits have in Xavier House was worth more than the money.
The society later clarified that there was never a “done deal” to sell the property to mall developer SM, which earlier bought a neighboring lot. The society also bristled at insinuations its decision was based on financial gain and that it was not taking care of the well-loved Reuter.
