Baguio City hall grounds works on despite opposition

By Jho Arranz

BAGUIO CITY -- The improvement of Baguio City Hall grounds is ongoing despite opposition from concerned residents.

Said project is being pursued based on the list of historic sites and structures installed with historical markers from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines that only the city hall building and not the grounds that was declared as such on Sept. 2, 2009.  

In executive-legislative meeting last week, mayor Mauricio Domogan requested the city council to immediately pass a resolution requesting the National Commission for Culture and Arts and the various cultural agencies to coordinate with the city government before declaring a place as historical and cultural heritage sites in the city of Baguio to clear confusion in the city government here.

“We are not opposing the declaration of historical sites in the city, but we have to follow what is required under Republic Act 10066,” said Domogan

Councilor Peter Fianza, who chairs committee on education, culture and historical research, said on 2009, city hall was marked as heritage building and has tried to look into an official document to support the declaration of the City Hall Building as a heritage site but found none.  

Fianza also cited importance of recognizing interest of local government units, hence, there is a need for consultation with the NHCP.

He said marked structure/site is only a recognition while declaration as historical needs a resolution.  

There must be distinction between marked heritage site and that of a declared heritage site. 

Domogan said the city hall building was declared under the old law.  

However, under R.A. 10066, the city government did not comply with the requisites in declaring the city hall building as historical site because there was no public hearing and there was no resolution of the city government for the declaration of the city hall building.

 So to be clarified with concerns of the city regarding declaration of heritage sites, the city council passed a proposed resolution requesting the NCCA and various cultural agencies attached to said office to coordinate with the city government of Baguio for its information and guidance before the declaration as historical and cultural heritage sites any place, location, or building in the city of Baguio.