WHAT do you want Cebu to become 50 years from now?
Although a booming province with so much economic potential, Cebu must conserve and preserve her cultural and historical heritage sites, three experts say.
Architect Troy Elizaga and professors Joy Sumagaysay and Irene Magallon were the speakers in a forum on conservation practices, challenges and outcomes in Cebu, Iloilo and Manila held on Saturday, Dec. 1, at the University of San Carlos Talamban campus.
Elizaga discussed the documentation of the Gotiaco building for adaptive rescue as the Sugbu Chinese Heritage Museum, while Sumagaysay and Magallon talked about cemeteries as narratives and the Sta. Barbara tourism initiative, respectively.
In Cebu, the fates of buildings with historical values lie in the hands of modernization.
The Provincial Government took out a P1.5-billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to build a 20-story Provincial Resource Center at the Capitol compound.
The Provincial Resource Center will be a mixed-use commercial building inside the Capitol compound. It will house the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office and other provincial offices.
Earlier, members of the United Architects of the Philippines Cebu Lapu-Lapu Chapter said that constructing the Resource Center right beside the historic Capitol building is “ill-advised.”
They added that it will also diminish the historical significance of the Capitol building, which, they warned, “will create a backlash among the silent majority.”
Another structure that has drawn concerns from conservationists is the Patria de Cebu.
The 64-year-old building was a former Catholic youth recreation center that was built with the so-called Ave Maria hollow blocks made by Student Catholic Action members and college students from the University of San Carlos in 1954.
However, Patria de Cebu is set for demolition after the Cebu archdiocese and private developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. agreed to redevelop the area into a commercial spot.
For Elizaga, the church and Gov. Hilario Davide III should listen to the laments of the youth and conservationists.
He said the youth could start with raising awareness through social media.
“The problem is people only voice out their concerns when constructions are about to start, when it could’ve been pointed out during the conceptualization stage. Cebu has to double time in making people aware, especially the youth,” he said.
Sumagaysay, for her part, said the youth in Iloilo are very active conservationists and use their social media influence to help preserve their heritage.
She recalled how the collaborative efforts of the young, old, bloggers and their local media stopped a hotel and government official build structures in heritage sites during separate occasions.
“We are one. We move holistically. We all want the future generations to enjoy and witness these glimpses of our past,” she said.
Magallon, on the other hand, urged the public to call the attention of concerned bodies, and educate themselves on laws protecting heritage sites. RTF