Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
INTRODUCTION
Rationale
On October 15, 2013 a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Province of Bohol,
damaging more than 73,000 structures. Among the damaged structures were Bohols
National Cultural Treasures, as declared by the National Museum of the Philippines.
Specifically these National Cultural Treasures include the church of Loboc. This church
has been declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical
Commission. A year and eight months later, this site have remained as it looked after
the earthquake damaged and in rubbles.
Cultural heritage continues to perform its role in the Philippine society as one of
the prime tools in bearing the meaning and identity of its respective communities and
individuals and of the entire Filipino nation. It is a crucial contributor to its social,
economic development as one people who strive to make themselves become
recognized and more visible in the world stage.
Sections 14, 15, 16, and 17 under Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution sets forth
that the State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a
Filipino culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and
intellectual expression. The Constitution likewise mandates the State to conserve,
develop, promote and popularize the nations historical and cultural heritage and
resources, as well as artistic creations. It further provides that, all the countrys artistic
and historic wealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be under the
protection of the State, which may regulate its disposition.
The National Heritage Act of 2009 mandates the government to prioritize
National Cultural Treasures and National Historical Landmarks during any occurrence of
natural disasters.
At times of crises access to and proper aid and care for the cultural heritage sites
may help vulnerable people recover a sense of continuity, dignity and empowerment. In
post-conflict situations, the acknowledgment and safeguarding of the cultural heritage,
may help foster understanding among different communities, which is essential for a
societys peaceful development.
The researchers are driven to focus on this topic for such reasons and aim to
examine and assess the rehabilitation plans of the Local Government Unit of Loboc in
cooperation with the National Historical Commission and the Diocese of Tagbilaran for
this specific damaged cultural site. It also aims to provide an assessment of the
parishioners of Loboc churchs perception of the rehabilitation effort. This study further
aims to send a message to the national and local government to invest and reexamine
their efforts in the conservation and protection our cultural heritage sites.
Theoretical Background
Thurley (2005) provides a theoretical diagram to explain the importance of
Cultural Heritage in the peoples everyday lives.
THURLEYS
HERITAGE
CYCLE
1987 Constitution
RA 10066: Natl Cultural
Heritage Act of 2009
Diocese of Tagbilaran
Article XIV, Section 16 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that All the
countrys artistic and historic wealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation and
shall be under the protection of the State which may regulate its disposition. This was
further elucidated in Republic Act No. 10066, also known as the National Cultural
Heritage Act of 2009. In it, the term National Cultural Treasure (NCT) was defined:
"National cultural treasure" shall refer to a unique cultural property found
locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific
value which is highly significant and important to the country and nation,
and officially declared as such by pertinent cultural agency.
Furthermore, in Article IV, Section 15, it explains the role of pertinent government
agencies in the conservation and preservation of Cultural Heritage Sites:
All intervention works and measures on conservation of national cultural
treasures, important cultural property, as well as national historical
landmarks, sites or monuments and structures previously marked by the
National Museum and/or the National Historical Institute before the
implementation of this Act, shall be undertaken through the appropriate
cultural agency which shall supervise the same.
The appropriate cultural agency shall approve only those methods and
materials that strictly adhere to the accepted international standards of
conservation.
Finally, in Article VII, Section 26 provides the pertinent government
agency, (in the case of this study, the National Museum through the Bohol
Heritage Task force) the power to issue compulsory repairs for damaged
Heritage Sites:
When a privately-owned heritage site cannot be maintained by the owner
or has fallen into disrepair through neglect to such an extent that it will
lose its potential for conservation, the appropriate cultural agency may
serve on the owner or occupant of such property an order to repair or
maintain such site. If the owner fails to comply with the said order within
thirty (30) to forty-five (45) days, repairs may be undertaken by the
appropriate cultural agency funded by the Commission for the account of
the owner.
The church of Loboc has been declared as a National Cultural treasure by the
National Museum, as evidenced by the proclamation (Appendix 1).
However, according to Mr. Charlemaine Tantengco, an officer at the National
Museum and a member of the Bohol Heritage Task force, these churches are still
classified as Private Property since they are owned by the Diocese of Tagbilaran and
the Parishioners of their respective municipalities and not by the Local Government
Units.
Thus, the society is faced with an interesting dynamic considering the state of
ownership and the level and amount of repairs needed to be done to these Cultural
Heritage Sites. The researchers assume that in order for the NCTs to be properly
conserved and preserved, there must be a healthy level of collaboration and effort
among the parties and stakeholders involved.
Feather (2006) says that the driving force for the definition of all cultural heritage
is it is a human creation intended to form. Schofield (2008) Heritage as a concept is
closely related to that of inheritance. To elaborate, as part of human activity Cultural
Heritage produces tangible representations of the value systems, beliefs, traditions and
lifestyles. As an essential part of culture as a whole, Cultural Heritage, contains these
visible and tangible traces from antiquity to the recent past.
Heritage conservation rejuvenates historic urban space through renovation,
restoration and reconstruction of historic buildings. This makes urban spaces more
livable and attractive for investment. Historic preservation may help achieve sustainable
economic growth (Munasinghe, 2005). In the study conducted above, the researcher
devised a long-term development master plan in order to sustain the requisite financial
resources or heritage conservation. It incorporated both preservation and development
concerns. The plan emphasized on establishing innovative public-private partnerships
to link conservation efforts to sustainable tourism development at heritage sites. It also
emphasized on the implementation on the zoning and carrying capacity of the sites to
protect fragile ruins, archeological remains, monuments and buildings.
Another study conducted by the Nara Institute for Cultural Properties on Cultural
Heritage Conservation and Restoration of Wooden Structures focused on national
designation and its response when it comes to natural disasters and the necessary
precautions they have undertaken. The study concentrated on the Kobe Earthquake o f
1995 and its damaging effects on many architectural cultural assets. In a country where
earthquakes are as common as they are in Japan, the very fact that a historical
structure has survived up to now implies that it has strong earthquake resistance. In
contrast to buildings of concrete or steel-reinforced concrete, there were no established
methods for assessing the earthquake resistance of wooden structures, and studies
using actual buildings as specimens were carried out to gather scientific data. This
allowed the preparation of a checklist-type manual that allows owners to easily
diagnose the earthquake resistance of their structures, without the high cost of a formal
earthquake resistance analysis, which has brought about heightened awareness of
disaster prevention.
When the question of authenticity comes into picture, which had been referred to
in various international debates in the past, was mentioned in the preface to the Venice
Charter: Imbued with a message from the past, the historic monuments of generations
of people remain to the present day as living witnesses of their age-old traditions.
People are becoming more and more conscious of the unity of human values and
regard ancient monuments as a common heritage. The common responsibility to
safeguard them for future generations is recognized. It is our duty to hand them on in
the full richness of their authenticity. (UNESCO, 2013). As noted, authenticity was
taken as a fundamental reference for the qualification of the justification of cultural sites.
With regards to the rebuilding process, a study was conducted by Wong, 2015 in
relation to the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal. She recommends the reuse of salvaged
traditional building materials as they represent an integral part of local heritage. Within
the reconstruction, public support and identification needs to be integrated to maintain a
process of sensitivity towards the social and economic aspects of heritage. According to
her, the benefits of such an action would merit the following benefits:
1. It significantly enhances the sustainability of the rebuilding process; these
materials are locally produced and easy to replace in case of a reconstruction.
2. Traditional materials have the social benefit of providing a sense of familiarity to
the appearance of the buildings, thus easing social continuity after the disaster.
3. The materials are necessary for the reconstruction and preservation of the older
buildings and monuments, and therefore for the protection of the Nepalese
architectural character.
To facilitate this, she suggests to collect salvaged materials and reuse as much
as possible. After their collection, the materials should be accumulated in specified
points and separated in terms of their type and reusability.
She elaborates further, The perspective of the residents within the affected area
is crucial during the reconstruction and preservation process to ensure public
acceptance.
Sites may have sacred values attached to them therefore, the local
perspective must be considered before decisions are made about reconstruction. Within
this identification process, not only the residents must be included but the state must be
included to ensure governmental approval of the processes.
To ensure continuing public support of the actions taken, information should be
sufficiently provided to the public. It is important that the citizens know that the heritage
and religious sites are honored and treated with respect to their culture that the
reconstruction is to help them and the entire process is transparent. Information points
at the construction sites or at the Townhall should be provided.
There are Key Decisions to be made by the Disaster agency when there is
disaster affecting Cultural Heritage Sites.
1. Immediately after a disaster, government should mobilize the lead agency for postdisaster heritage conservation, if one is already designated, or if not, appoint one to
address damage to resources of national significance and to assist local communities.
2. The lead agency for heritage conservation should collaborate with the lead disaster
agency and local governments to ensure cultural resources are considered in postdisaster damage and loss assessments.
3. Communities in collaboration with local government and the lead agency for heritage
conservation should identify and prioritize cultural resources that require conservation
during recovery and reconstruction and document the condition of these resources.
4. Communities in collaboration with local government and the lead agency for heritage
conservation should decide whether adequate instruments or plans are in place to
address post-disaster cultural heritage risks. If so, they should be activated. If not,
stakeholders should work together to carry out the cultural heritage planning.
5. The lead agency for heritage conservation should decide whether available local
resources are adequate to address the post-disaster cultural heritage risks that have
been identified. If not, it should identify and mobilize outside financial and technical
assistance.
6. Churches, tribal organizations, and other guardians of cultural resources should
ensure that their resources are included in post-disaster assessments and should
request assistance in conserving them, if required.
7. Communities being relocated and receiving communities should demand that the
conservation of cultural resources be a consideration in resettlement planning, site
selection, and relocation plans (Sena, Pittet, Phelps, Jha & Barenstein, 2010). In the
enumerated key decisions above, it frequently mentions the collaboration of the
government and the lead agency in cultural conservation and also with the
communities; this signifies that their collaboration plays an important part in the revival,
preservation, and conservation of Cultural- Heritage Sites.
Observers have identified several reasons why heritage is preserved. These
include countering the effects of modernization (e.g., demolition of historic structures),
building nationalism, and preserving collective nostalgia, improving science and
education, safeguarding artistic and aesthetic value (Timothy and Boyd, 2003).
THE PROBLEM
Statement of the Problem
This research aims to assess the short-term impact to the parishioners and
concerned agencies of the destruction of the Cultural Heritage Site, specifically the
church and bell tower in the town of Loboc and their corresponding assessment to the
support given by their Local Government.
Statement of Hypothesis
The destruction of the Cultural Heritage Sites results in no significant impact to
the parishioners and concerned agencies.
cultural heritage sites and its effect on the populace which will hope fully result to better
appreciation of these sites
Future Researchers. This study provides preliminary information for future
researches hoping to research the adverse and positive effects of the loss of these
cultural heritage sites. This study may be used as reference material for future
researchers in their endeavors in studying the culture and heritage of the province of
Bohol.
The latter will then be composed of ten (10) participants chosen from among these
chosen church groups, namely: Liturgical Lay Ministers, Family and Life Apostolate,
Catholic Womens League, Knights of Columbus, Parish Youth Ministry, and Adoracion
Nocturna. Thus, the ability to generalize to the entire population of Loboc is severely
limited. The sample however is similar in nature to the population that was conducted by
UNESCO and these individuals are more closely associated with the activities
conducted by the church and its ministries and can thus be generalized. The aspects
looked into are the support measures done in the rebuilding of the sites both by the
Local Government Unit of Loboc, and the impact of the parishioners on the rehabilitation
effort.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study employs a qualitative research method. This is to obtain answers to
questions cannot be provided by a quantitative method of research and to generate
words rather than numbers, as data for analysis. The Qualitative research approach
makes use of Key Informant Interview and Focus Group Discussion.
The purpose of the Key Informant Interview is to collect information from a wide
range of people- including community leaders, professionals, or residents- who have
firsthand knowledge about the community. These community experts, with their
particular knowledge and understanding, can provide insight on the nature of problems
and give recommendations or solutions. For the study, the researchers interviewed 3
key informants: (1) from the Local Government Unit, (1) from the lead agency for
cultural preservation- the National Museum and (1) from the parish. The representative
from the Local Government Unit is the Mayor of the Municipality of Loboc, from the
National Museum is the head officer of the National Museum- Bohol Division, and from
the parish through its parish priest of St. Peter Apostle Parish- Loboc.
A Focus Group Discussions main purpose is to draw upon respondents
attitudes, feelings, beliefs, experiences, and reactions in a way not feasible using other
methods. It aims to elicit a multiplicity of views and emotional processes within a group
context and gain a larger amount of information in a shorter period of time. The
researchers chose 5 different established organizations in the parish to represent all the
parishioners.
Research Environment
The municipality of Loboc in Bohol is chosen as the research environment. Loboc
is considered as one of the oldest towns of Bohol, established in 1602. Loboc is a fourth
class municipality in the 3 rd District of the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is 25
kilometers east of Tagbilaran. It has a land area of 8,541 hectares and according to the
2010 census, Loboc has 16,312 population.
In the municipality of Loboc, the second oldest church in Bohol is also found, the
St. Peter the Apostle Parish. It is also considered as the oldest established parish in the
province of Bohol. The church is classified as a National Historical Landmark by
the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and a National Cultural
Treasures by the National Museum of the Philippines. It was severely damaged when a
7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Bohol and other parts of Central Visayas on October
15, 2013.
Research Participants
The participants of the study are classified according to the different instruments
use for the qualitative method approach. For the Key Informant Interviews, the Local
Government Unit of Loboc, the National Museum- Bohol branch and the parish of St.
Peter the Apostle are subjected to the study. They are subjected to the Key Informant
Interviews with guide questions formulated by the researchers. The interview from the
Local Government Unit of Loboc is represented by its Mayor. From the National
Museum- Bohol branch is a person who is a member of the Museum Researcher of the
Bohol Heritage Task Force and from the parish of St. Peter the Apostle is its parish
priest. Being they are the entities that have direct involvement in the restoration and
preservation of the destroyed Loboc Church.
On the Focus Group Discussion, the parishioners are the subjects, particularly
the different established church organizations. The church organizations determined are
the Lay Liturgical Ministers, Parish Workers, Catholic Womens League, Parish Youth
Ministry, and the Adoracion Nocturna. They are chosen to be the respondent for they
are one of the parishioners and they are also affected by the destruction of the Loboc
Church.
Research Instrument
The study use of a qualitative method of research, the instruments to be used by
the researchers to gather data are Key Informant Interview and Focus Group
Discussion.
The Key Informant Interview is use to know the awareness of the Local
Government Unit, the National Museum- Bohol branch and the parish priest about their
role in the preservation of cultural heritage sites as provided in the National Cultural
Heritage Act of 2009 or RA 10066 and to know the level of their collaboration with other
agencies for the restoration and preservation of cultural heritage sites particularly the
Loboc Church.
For the Focus Group Discussion, it is use to draw data from the parishioners,
specifically the different church organizations on their observation with the pace of the
restoration process and to know their sentiments about the importance of the restoration
of the Loboc church.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
For the purpose of this research, the following terms are defined as follows:
Agencies
Administrative units of government that are tasked with specific responsibilities.
These agencies can be established by national, regional or local governments. These
agencies are entities distinct from government departments or ministries, but they often
work closely with and report to one or more departments or ministries. Others operate
independently, especially those with oversight or regulatory responsibilities. Through
such things as contracting, loan guarantees and government-sponsored enterprises,
agencies can deliver public goods and services or implement specific policies.
Conservation
The things that are done to keep works of art or things of historical importance in
good condition or the prevention of something from being lost or wasted. The
preservation of a physical quantity during transformations, e.g. collapse, damage, etc.
or reactions e.g. earthquakes, floods, etc.
Cultural Heritage Sites
The totality of cultural property pressured and developed through time and
passed on to posterity. It includes hundreds of historic buildings and town sites and
important archaeological sites declared as such by the National Historical Commission.
Destruction
Physical damage inflicted to something that impairs its value, usefulness or
normal function. It does not necessarily equate to complete and total damage that is so
severe as to call for its ultimate replacement but may be associated with any change in
physical attributes of a structure that would definitely call for the response of the
concerned individuals tasked to ensure its conservation.
Parishioners
The inhabitants of a certain territory who belong to the parish and are expected
to attend services at the local parish church. The Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox
churches remain organized in this manner, but the term "parish" is used even by some
denominational bodies without episcopal administration, so making the members
parishioners.
Rebuilding
The concrete action taken or the technical intervention to correct deterioration
and alterations on any establishment or physical facility. This term may connote two
forms: (a) the returning of a structure to its original state with the same materials used
or possibly with other more flexible resources; or (b) the total change of the structure
from ground up, often with a different design from the original, with the intention of
establishing the same structure for the same purpose. It may often refer to
reconstruction, extensive changes in, remodeling, or restoration.
Short-term Impact
The effect that results from a spectacle or a calamity from the time of its
occurrence until the present. It is almost often limited to the data and records of
changes in economy and popular perception.
Tripartite Stakeholders
The people directly responsible for the conservation of the Cultural Heritage Sites
composed of the following National Historical Museum and the Bohol Heritage Task
Force, the Local Government of Loboc, and the Diocese of Tagbilaran.