International group to restore historic Intramuros

MANILA, Philippines - The Global Heritage Fund Mission, a non-profit conservation group that provides assistance to developing countries in preserving their cultural heritage sites, recently pledged its support for the preservation of Intramuros.

GHF International Conservation Director John Hurd and Tourism Secretary Ace Durano signed a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize the working partnership.

 “As one of the country’s significant cultural heritage icons, Intramuros needs a long-term and systematic preservation program to protect its centuries-old structures and collections. The assistance of the respected Global Heritage Fund enables both the DOT and Intramuros Administration to look into adopting an internationally recognized conservation methodology in preserving the walled city,” said Durano.

The GHF technical team will conduct a feasibility study of the walled city. Hurd was conservation consultant to UNESCO and is currently president of International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Advisory Committee.

“Intramuros has an enormous international potential. We hope to keep the historical authenticity within its walls with the help of your country’s academe, professionals, tourism stakeholders and the community in the area,” said Hurd.

Working with international specialists in archaeological conservation and community development, GHF employs an intensive conservation methodology called Preservation by Design, which includes site management, planning, scientific conservation and community development of areas deemed as endangered heritage sites.

Dennis Normandy, chairman of the San Francisco-Manila Sister City Committee (SFMSCC), the group that served as Manila’s liaison to the GHF, said that for Intramuros, they are looking into replicating the success of the Colonial Williamsburg town in Virginia.

 “We hope to see Intramuros one day as living history, much like the town of Colonial Williamsburg where history was recreated not only by its structures but by real people who are living out the 18th century,” said Normandy.

The GHF has been involved in projects in China, India, Peru, Laos and Libya. One of its most successful projects is the restoration of the Ancient Town of Lijiang in China, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Together with the LiJiang Ancient Town Management Committee, UNESCO World Heritage Centre Asia Pacific and Shanghai Tongji University’s Urban Planning and Design Institute, the GHF managed to restore Lijiang’s 200 ancient structures and create a sustainable tourism livelihood for the Naxi tribal community living in the area.

The expertise of the GHF is undoubtedly needed in Intramuros, according to Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotion Eduardo Jarque, Jr. “Heritage site preservation has been a challenge for countries like ours which have modest resources. With environmental effects, climate changes, and other causes beyond our control, our heritage sites do need all the support specially from experts like the GHF,” said Jarque.