NHCP bars construction at Oslob heritage plaza pending review

Local

THE National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has directed the Municipality of Oslob to halt construction and development activities at its town plaza pending the agency’s heritage assessment and clearance for the proposed sports and cultural center.

In a letter dated Sept. 30, NHCP Chair Regalado Trota Jose Jr. told Mayor Ronald Guaren that no construction or site development related to the project should proceed without the commission’s approval.

"NHCP reiterates its position that no construction, site development, or other intervention associated with the proposed Oslob Sports and Gultural Center should be undertaken within the subject area without the appropriate clearance from this Commission," Jose stated.

The directive followed the municipality’s Sept. 10 request for a determination of the plaza’s historical status. It can be recalled that concerned citizens in Oslob has sought assistance from the national government to block plans of putting up a new sports complex and gymanasium on the site.

Heritage concerns

Based on the two-page letter from NHCP, a copy of which was furnished to MyTV Cebu, the municipality reportedly said the area had previously served as an open parking space before it was developed into a plaza in 2015.

However, the NHCP said the plaza’s historical significance cannot be determined solely by its recent use or physical improvements.

It cited NHCP Resolution No. 7, Series of 2018, which recognizes Spanish- and American colonial-era plazas and public squares as National Historic Sites because of their historical, cultural and urban planning significance.

The resolution references the Leyes de las Indias, or Laws of the Indies, which prescribed a central plaza surrounded by religious, civic and government structures as a defining feature of colonial towns.

The commission said further historical verification and evaluation are necessary to determine the site’s status under the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, as amended by Republic Act 11961.

In the same letter, the NHCP said its board had denied, during a Sept. 23 meeting, a petition seeking to remove the presumption of Important Cultural Property status of Oslob’s Old Municipal Building.

"In reaching this decision, the Commission recognized the building's contribution to the historic town of Oslob and the importance of conserving representative examples of civic

architecture associated with the town's historical development," the commission added.

The directive followed a Sept. 26 appeal from Mark Arnold Langahid of Nagpakabanang Oslobanon, who raised concerns about development activities at the plaza.

Langahid said the municipality had enclosed the area with blue galvanized iron sheets and proceeded with activities despite the NHCP’s earlier position advising against interventions affecting the plaza and adjacent heritage properties without clearance.

He also questioned whether the necessary permits had been secured and urged the commission to investigate.

Photographs attached to his letter showed the enclosed plaza and exposed portions of the ground.

The appeal did not establish whether the municipality had obtained the required permits.

In its Sept. 30 response, the NHCP acknowledged the

municipality’s commitment to refrain from activities affecting the site while awaiting guidance. It urged continued cooperation to ensure that development within Oslob’s historic center complies with heritage conservation requirements.

The letter did not specify when the assessment would be completed or detail possible penalties for proceeding without clearance.

The local government of Oslob has yet to issue any official statement on this development.(RBE)