Taal heritage advocates fume over ‘desecration’

CONTROVERSY The historic Escuela Pia (right photo) in Taal town in Batangas province is now at the center of controversy due to a government building for senior citizens being constructed at its perimeter (left). The photos were provided by Concerned Taalenyos for Heritage Preservation and Patrimony.

ESCUELA Pia, a centuries-old school building, is a national historical landmark in the town of Taal in Batangas province. So why is a government building being constructed within its compound, cultural heritage advocates are asking.

With a billboard bearing the names of local politicians and hanging at the construction site, critics feel that the project is somehow being used for electioneering.

Built by Augustinian friars in 1839, Escuela Pia is considered one of Taal’s oldest structures and a “lasting representation” of the educational system that Spaniards brought to the Philippines, said Norma Atienza of Concerned Taalenyos for Heritage Preservation and Patrimony (CTHPP).

It used to house Colegio de la Sagrada Familia, a school dedicated to poor students in the municipality. Today, it serves as function hall for assemblies and events, such as weddings.

Then President Ferdinand Marcos issued Presidential Decree No. 260 in 1973, declaring Escuela Pia a national historical landmark. The decree was amended in 1974 and 1978.

Signature campaign

When construction activities were in full swing within the perimeter fence of Escuela Pia, cultural heritage groups fumed. CTHPP and groups like Dakila Pamana ng Lahi Inc. and Advocates for Heritage Preservation started a signature campaign for the immediate removal of the structure.

A P1-million senior citizen building was being put up on a 42-square-meter property. Currently, the senior citizens’ office is sharing office space with the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Taal.

The building project was facilitated through the party-list group Alliance of Volunteer Educators and implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways. On its billboard are the names of Michael Montenegro, who is on his last term as mayor of Taal, and Michael “MV” Villano, a candidate for mayor.

The Inquirer tried to reach Montenegro on Monday, but a staff member in his office said the official was in Iloilo City attending a seminar and would return next week.

Amando Matanguihan, the municipal engineer, said the construction of the senior citizen building was about 90 percent complete. The project is meant to serve more than 500 senior citizens in Taal, he said.

“We have a permit from the NHCP (National Historical Commission of the Philippines). If they have complaints, they should direct them to the NHCP,” he said. He was referring to the letter dated Dec. 21, 2015, from Maria Serena Diokno, NHCP chair, allowing the “improvement of the multipurpose building in Barangay 7.”

“The NHCP is amenable to the proposal provided the improvements conform with the original distinctive features that the historic town of Taal represents,” the letter said.

The building “is not blocking any view,” Matanguihan said, pointing out that it is being constructed at the back of Escuela Pia.

Rule of law

Citing provisions of Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, Atienza said the construction of any structure within the heritage district’s buffer zone is illegal. “Any new construction is prohibited. Even the mere restoration [of a historical landmark] requires a permit,” she said by telephone on Monday.

Atienza questioned the supposed permit that the local officials were citing.

“Remember that the permit they were showing is misleading. It’s not a clearance for any construction and does not indicate Escuela Pia [as the project location],” she said. “It’s not even an issue of any view being blocked.”

“The law specifically says it’s illegal. No compromise there,” she said.