PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has signed into law Republic Acts 11644 and 11645, declaring Carcar City in Cebu and San Vicente in Ilocos Sur, respectively, as heritage zones.
Malacañang said Duterte signed Republic Acts 11644 and 11645 on January 14, 2022.
This will prompt the Department of Tourism (DOT), along with local governments of the said city, municipality and provinces, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and its affiliated cultural agencies, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), to immediately prepare the development plans involving the preservation, conservation, restoration, and maintenance of cultural and historical sites and structures for the enhancement and sustainability of tourism in San Vicente and Carcar City.
Meanwhile, during his Talk to the People Address, which was aired on Tuesday morning, January 18, Duterte said he is mulling the creation of a bigger statue of Filipino hero Lapulapu.
He said the statue of Lapulapu, one of the country’s national heroes, should always be bigger than Magellan’s.
"I am not belittling Magellan...I do not mean to offend the sensibility of Cebuanos. I’m just a citizen of this country expressing my opinion. When I was campaigning for the presidency, I went to Cebu and there was this statue of Magellan and Lapulapu. Magellan's statue is bigger than Lapulapu. I don't know about the Cebuanos, but I am very uncomfortable to say that the statue of Lapulapu is smaller than Magellan," Duterte said.
"There was a crowd (then) and I said if I become President, I will make Lapulapu's statue bigger than Magellan. Can you note that, Karlo, and somebody from NHCP to go there and try to look at the situation," he added.
Duterte was referring to Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
In response, Nograles said there is already a bigger Lapulapu statue in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
"Call the Historical Commission, I want it started," Duterte insisted. (SunStar Philippines)