President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has enacted two measures declaring heritage areas in the provinces of Cebu and Ilocos Sur.

Duterte signed both Republic Act 11644 or the “Carcar City Heritage Area Act” and RA 11645 or an Act Establishing a Heritage Area in the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur on January 14, 2022 .

In signing RA 11644, Duterte acknowledged that the Constitution “charges the state to preserve, develop, promote, and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as its artistic creations.

The Constitution also provides that all the artistic and historical riches of the country “constitute the cultural treasures of the nation and are protected by the State, which may regulate their disposal”.

Under the law, Carcar City will be given priority development by the Department of Tourism (DOT), in coordination with the Cebu Provincial Government, Carcar City Government, National Commission for Culture and the Arts ( NCCA) and its affiliated cultural organizations. government agencies and other relevant government agencies, subject to rules and regulations governing the conservation and preservation of heritage areas.

The DOT, in coordination with the local governments of Cebu and Carcar City, the NCCA and its affiliated cultural agencies, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will immediately prepare the development plan involving the preservation, conservation, restoration and maintenance of cultural and historical sites and structures for the enhancement and sustainability of tourism in the city of Carcar.

The NCCA will only approve methods and materials that strictly adhere to accepted international conservation standards for undertaking conservation and restoration work as provided for in Section 15 of RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act .

The applicable provisions of Republic Act 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992, as amended by Republic Act 11038, shall be applied in the management of the protected areas of the City of Carcar in coordination with the DENR.

The DOT, in coordination with the Cebu Provincial Government, the Carcar Municipal Government, the NCCA and its affiliated cultural agencies, and the DENR shall promulgate the rules and regulations necessary for the effective implementation of this Act.

The law that originated in the House of Representatives was passed by the House on December 17, 2019, amended by the Senate on September 27, 2021, and whose amendments were approved by the House on November 23, 2021.

Under RA 11645, the DOT, in coordination with the Province of Ilocos Sur, the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur, and the NCCA and its affiliated cultural agencies, will also immediately prepare the development plan involving the preservation, conservation, restoration and maintenance of cultural and historical sites and structures for the improvement and sustainability of tourism in San Vincente, Ilocos Sur.

The NCCA will only approve methods and materials that strictly adhere to accepted international conservation standards for undertaking conservation and restoration work, as provided for in Section 15 of RA 10066.

Within one year of the entry into force of this law, the Municipality of San Vicente, Ilocos Sur will adopt a municipal ordinance to appropriately operationalize the management of its heritage area, including all cultural assets designated as intrinsic to it, in accordance with the development plan and in accordance with the objectives and provisions of RA 10066 and RA 11645.

The preservation, protection, study and promotion of the cultural and historic integrity of the geographical area represented by the heritage area will receive priority attention, assistance and funding in the development of the from the NCCA and its affiliated cultural agencies, and from the DOT and its affiliated agencies. agencies, subject to appropriate government rules and regulations in force.