Heirs of Palo Library property ask PNoy: Stop Demolition

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – The prominent heirs of Pio and Luisa Acebedo-Pedrosa family who owns the century-old Palo Library—a landmark of Palo town in Leyte—had sought for the intervention of President Benigno Aquino III in stopping the scheduled demolition of the structure and other ancestral houses nearby.

The Department of Public Works and Highways had ordered the Leyte First Engineering District to remove and demolish houses and other structures within seven days within the perimeter of the national highway, as part of the road widening program of the government.

The Palo Library, which was also badly damaged by Yolanda, will be among those to be demolished.

This prompted the Pedrosa family to write President Aquino, last October 11, asking for action by directing the DPWH to forego the planned demolition and listening to the town residents’ sentiments of saving the old houses and other structures of heritage importance.

According to the DPWH, some structure are “usurping a right-of-way and converting part of the national highway to private use.”

The Pedrosa family, however, countered that these houses, right across the Palo Cathedral, were there for generations, some even there for more than two centuries.

“Mr. President, most of the civilized/enlightened worlds are now engaged in saving and preserving old heritage places, structures, so that future generations can see and feel their beauty,” the letter said, citing countries in Europe that preserved old buildings and structures as cultural heritage that become tourist attractions.

Just recently, the City of Vigan, for its old buildings, has been chosen among the 14 finalists for the new wonder cities of the world. “We could not comprehend the great passion and obsession of the DPWH’s Leyte engineering district in ordering us to demolish and remove our homes and structures,” the letter said.

The family, through its lawyers Ramon Pedrosa and Marino Buban, further elevated the matter to the National Historical Commission chair Maria Serena Diokno for clarification.

Diokno, for her part, wrote to DPWH-Region 8 Director Rolando Asis asking for coordination with the NHC, a matter that has not been acted upon so far by the DPWH.

Residents of Palo had also launched a signature campaign petitioning for support to save the ancestral houses and old structures in the town.