Int'l Group to Philippine Gov't: Protect Rizal Monument

The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has encouraged the government to implement measures that would protect the Rizal Monument and its setting.

In Resolution 18GA 2014/31 or the "Protection of Cultural Heritage in Relation to Real Estate Development: Rizal Monument, Manila, Philippines" tackled during the 18th General Assembly of ICOMOS in November in Italy, it said "all national authorities in the Philippines "to develop and implement conservation measures for the protection of the Rizal Monument and its setting."

"The recommendation is to uphold what is stated in national laws and zoning as allowable for the Torre de Manila and what is stated in international conservation guidelines," ICOMOS Philippines president emeritus Anthony Villalon explained to GMA News Online on Monday. 

The group also said in the resolution that the high-rise condominium tower by DMCI Homes Torre de Manila "may significantly compromise key sightlines of the Rizal Monument and could have detrimental impacts on the heritage values and on the setting of this national monument." 

The resolution also pointed out different local and international guidelines on protecting monuments.  ICOMOS stated that the International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites or Venice Charter states that "the concept of a historical monument embraces not only the single architectural work but also the urban or rural setting in which it is found, the evidence of a particular development or a historical event" and that "the conservation of a monument implies preserving a setting which is not out of scale." 

 Moreover, the Venice Charter also says, "the sites of monuments must be the object of special care in order to safeguard their integrity and ensure that they are cleared and presented in a seemly manner."  

ICOMOS also noted the "Guidelines on Monuments Honoring National Heroes, Illustrious Filipinos and other Personages" by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).  "Keep vista points and visual corridors to monuments clear for unobstructed viewing appreciation and photographic opportunities," NHCP's own guideline said.  

ICOMOS--an advisory organization to the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) and an international body tasked to identify and protect heritage sites around the world--previously announced that the Rizal Monument has been named as one of the world's threatened heritage sites since its visual corridors are obstructed by the Torre de Manila. 

More than a tourist spot, ICOMOS described the Rizal Monument as an "enduring, honored, and iconic" site where the remains of the country's National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal are buried. The monument is also near the site where Rizal was executed by a firing squad on December 30, 1896. —ALG, GMA News