CPA allows use of old BOC bldg as museum

CEBU, Philippines — The Board of Directors of the Cebu Port Authority has approved the Deed of Usufruct between CPA and the National Museum (NM), which will pave the way for the establishment of a national museum in Cebu.

CPA Commissioner Michael Lopez said he endorsed for the Board’s approval the draft of the Deed of Usufruct that NM prepared during the meeting of the Port Development Committee last week.

"It was seconded without objections. Thereafter, during our regular board meeting, it was approved without objections," Lopez said in a Facebook post.

Lopez said what needs to be done now is for the parties to sign the deed.

The deed is necessary because the national museum will be housed at the Malacañang sa Sugbo building, which is a property of CPA. It will be used free of rent for 25 years.

The Malacañang sa Sugbo building sits beside the Plaza Independencia.

Usufruct is a legal right accorded to a person or party, usually for a limited period of time for that person or party to benefit from someone else’s property.

Lopez said the move is "CPA’s corporate social responsibility, our contribution to promoting Filipino culture and heritage, all for Cebu and the Cebuanos."

Earlier, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia wrote President Rodrigo Duterte expressing support for plans to convert the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a national museum.

In a letter dated July 19, Garcia said that should the plan be realized, the converted Malacanang sa Sugbo will serve as a beacon for tourists from all over the world, considering the rich history and culture that the structure represents, not only for Cebuanos but for the entire Filipino people.

Last month, the Cebu City Council also passed a resolution supporting the stand of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino to convert the century-old building into a regional branch of NM.

"The National Museum is an educational scientific and cultural institution that acquires, documents, preserves, exhibits, and fosters scholarly study and public appreciation of works of art, specimen and cultural and historical artifacts representative of the unique cultural heritage of the Filipino people and the natural history of the Philippines,” the Council resolution reads.

Dino expressed his support to convert the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a national museum following a letter from NM chairperson, Evangelina Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo- Bernas, stating NM’s interest to re-establish its presence in Cebu City through the restoration and conversion of the building.

Dino said he has received a go signal from the Office of the President and the Department of Finance to transform the Malacañang sa Sugbo into a national museum. He reportedly received verbal approval from Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Finance secretary Carlos Dominguez III to give NM the authority to transform the unused Malacañang sa Sugbo building into another tourist attraction in Cebu and the Visayas.

The Bureau of Customs used to occupy the Malacañang sa Sugbo building and Lopez said CPA is now finalizing another Deed of Usufruct with BOC for the latter to continue using the space it is occupying at present and develop it for a new office building.

“The board has yet to approve this but I am for it," Lopez said.

He added that the draft deed that BOC prepared has been routed to the different departments of CPA for comments. The draft would then be elevated to the CPA Board for deliberation with the comments and recommendations of the department heads taken into consideration. (FREEMAN)