Probe sought on gov’t efforts to preserve historical landmarks

MANILA, Philippines - Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Lito Lapid have called for a congressional inquiry into government efforts to preserve the country’s historical landmarks.

The two lawmakers filed separate resolutions to find out whether the government has taken any action to protect  historical landmarks and buildings from natural disasters following the destruction of several of them   after last month’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol and Cebu.

Santiago’s resolution read: “There is a need for Congress to look into the actions taken by the local government units of Bohol and Cebu, as well as the NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) and NHI (National Historical Institute) on the preservation and retrofitting of old buildings and landmarks because these are irreplaceable monuments of Philippine history.”

In his resolution, Lapid said  legislation might be needed to aid in the preservation and conservation of cultural and historical landmarks.

“There is a need to ascertain whether policies and programs should be initiated to ensure that our cultural and historical treasures are resilient to disasters and the extent of disaster proofing that may be undertaken on them,” read the resolution.

Lapid said the extent of the destruction of the cultural treasures and landmarks in   the affected provinces must be investigated to determine if reconstruction and restoration work can still be undertaken.

“Damage to our cultural treasures and historical landmarks affect not only our Philippine heritage but may also threaten the lifeblood of the local tourism industry,” he said.

After the 7.2 magnitude earthquake shook Central Visayas, several popular historic landmarks like churches and the Chocolate Hills in Bohol were severely damaged.

Among the churches   damaged were two in Loboc and Baclayon, once considered for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) World Heritage list.