BAGUIO CITY – Efforts to identify and eventually conserve and preserve the city’s heritage sites and resources have taken off here via the private sector-led Baguio Heritage Mapping Project.
Spearheaded by the University of the Philippines College Baguio Educational Foundation Inc. (UPCBEFI) with support from the environment protection group Pine Cone Movement Inc. (PCMI) and in cooperation with government agencies led by the city government, the project seeks to collate data on heritage sites and resources in the city leading to their conservation and development using the “adaptive re-use” concept and their sustained conservation and protection.
Project leader Dr. Rowena Boquiren said the endeavor has a timeline of two years within which they aim “to produce a heritage mapping report and advocacy products for dissemination to the public, assess priority sites and have a model for retrofitting and/or adaptive re-use, build a partnership that shall sustain heritage mapping work and conservation action and recommend policy and conservation actions to mandated agencies for Baguio’s heritage promotion and protection to sustain the city’s status as renowned tourism destination.”
For 2017, the first year of implementation, Boquiren said they hope to achieve the following: stocktaking of the heritage resources as basis of mapping; capacity-building on heritage mapping consisting of two phases involving a session for orientation and planning and sharing of results of stocktaking and the presentation of final report and next plans; heritage mapping first phase for priority sites; assessment of priority structures and sites for retrofitting or adaptive re-use; and preparation of plans or proposals for inter-agency and multi-sectoral collaboration on heritage conservation actions and plans.
On the second year, the activities are: heritage mapping second phase for completion of mapping; design, planning and resource mobilization for retrofitting or adaptive re-use of priority structure and site; lobby and advocacy work with mandated government agencies, sources of financial and technical support; public use of heritage mapping results (dissemination through the education sector, city tourism sector, media and local community actions; and evaluation of heritage mapping project and planning future activities.
As to the roles of the sectors, government agencies including the city government, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Dept. of Tourism Cordillera, the academe, private business corporations including the Heritage Mansion Hotel and the civil society organizations including the Baguio Heritage Foundation, Inc. will serve as “major implementers of the proposed project in view of their data inputs, technical expert advice and financial resources.”
“Civil society with their data inputs and ground-level knowledge as culture-bearers shall be actively engaged throughout project implementation,” Boquiren noted.
PCMI’s role focuses on contributing fund support and data inputs for the realization of the first three objectives through the UPCBEFI.
The team led by Boquiren met last May 8 to present results and suggestions after seeing the Malcolm Square area and the old post office.
Boquiren said the activity with the NCCA representative Ivan Henares was an initial step to assess built heritage in the city. Attendees included Councilors Elmer Datuin, Mylen Yaranon, Leandro Yangot Jr. and Benny Bomogao, Elvira Albino of Plaza Building, Mita Dimalanta of PCMI, city building and architecture office head Nazita Bañez and Archs. Aris Go and Jayson Portem.
Last January 25, the team conducted the first phase of the capacity building participated in by Councilors Peter Fianza, Yaranon, Yangot and Datuin with representatives of the city environment and parks management office, the DOT-CAR, Division of City Schools, BHFI, PCMI, Baguio Museum, University of Baguio, University of the Philippines Baguio, media practitioners and cultural heritage enthusiasts and Ancestral Land Claimants Council of Elders. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
