50-year-old structures in Cebu now covered with ICP status

CEBU, Philippines — Structures at least 50 years old in Cebu will be presumed to have Important Cultural Property (ICP) status and shall receive Grade II protection under a newly approved provincial ordinance.

The Cebu Provincial Cultural Heritage Ordinance of 2026, authored by Board Member Paz A. Rozgoni, was approved on third and final reading during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s regular session on August 24.

Under the ordinance, no component city or municipality may issue a permit for the demolition, alteration, or major structural intervention of structures at least 50 years old while their presumed ICP status remains in effect.

The protection will remain until the presumption is formally lifted by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) or the appropriate national cultural agency.

This means that the age of a structure alone places it under a higher level of protection under the provincial framework, although the ordinance does not state that all such structures are automatically and permanently preserved.

The ordinance provides that structures at least 50 years old are among the properties that carry a statutory presumption of ICP status and are therefore given Grade II protection.

The same protection applies to works by a Manlilikha ng Bayan, National Artist, National Hero, National Scientist, National Social Scientist, or recognized Filipino Masters.

Also covered are archaeological and traditional ethnographic materials; archival materials or documents at least 50 years old; rare books and incunabula; movable or immovable structures marked by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) or its predecessors; all Gabaldon school buildings and their integral ancillary structures; and heritage trees designated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, its agencies, or the NHCP.

The levels of protection

The new ordinance categorizes cultural and natural properties of cultural significance in Cebu into three levels.

Grade I includes National Cultural Treasures, National Historical Shrines, National Historical Monuments, National Historical Landmarks, World Heritage Sites, and other heritage properties or elements inscribed or designated under international conventions.

Grade II covers declared Important Cultural Properties; natural properties of cultural significance covered by or located within protected areas under the ENIPAS Act; declared archaeological sites; heritage houses; historic sites; heritage trees; nationally declared heritage zones; marked structures; and all Gabaldon school buildings.

Grade III covers other cultural properties and natural properties of cultural significance not covered by or located within a protected area under the ENIPAS Act in the Philippine Registry of Heritage, including properties declared by the province and its component local government units.

Buffer zones

The ordinance also requires all declared immovable cultural properties to have designated core and buffer zones to protect their integrity, authenticity, and sustainability.

For Grade I and II properties, the appropriate national cultural agency will delineate the zones, while component cities and municipalities will be responsible for Grade III properties.

The ordinance further requires cities and municipalities to integrate existing and newly established core and buffer zones into their updated Comprehensive Land Use Plans and zoning ordinances as “Heritage Overlay Zones.”

This provision is intended to ensure that heritage protection is considered in local land-use and zoning policies.

LGU declarations

The province and its component cities and municipalities are also authorized to declare cultural properties of local significance within their respective jurisdictions.

For provincial declarations, proposed cultural properties must first be submitted to the Cebu Province Heritage Commission (CPHC) for technical review and endorsement before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan deliberates on the proposal.

For city and municipal declarations, the Local Culture and Arts Council, local chief executive, Sangguniang Panlungsod or Bayan, property owner, or a recognized heritage organization may initiate the process.

The concerned Local Culture and Arts Council must evaluate the subject and prepare a comprehensive technical report establishing its significance.

The local sanggunian must then issue formal notice to the property owner or affected practitioner community and conduct mandatory public hearings before the declaration can be enacted through a local ordinance.

For tangible properties, the local ordinance must explicitly identify the core and buffer zones, while ordinances covering intangible heritage must provide specific safeguarding measures.

Heritage commission created

The ordinance also creates the CPHC as the primary policymaking, coordinating, and advisory body of the provincial government for the conservation, preservation, protection, and dynamic management of tangible and intangible cultural properties and heritage zones.

The commission will be chaired by Provincial Governor Pamela Baricuatro and will include representatives from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the Cebu Provincial Engineering Office, Provincial Tourism Office, Provincial Legal Office, and Provincial Planning and Development Office.

The head of the National Museum of the Philippines-Cebu and district engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways with jurisdiction over Cebu will serve as ex-officio members.

The commission may also include representatives from other government agencies, the private sector, and academe whose expertise can assist in heritage conservation.

Among its responsibilities is to provide policy direction for the Comprehensive Provincial Heritage Management Plan and ensure its integration into the Provincial Annual Investment Program.

Through the ordinance, the provincial government seeks to “protect, preserve, conserve, and promote the totality of Cebuano cultural heritage, its properties, and histories” while safeguarding the identity of local communities.

It also seeks to strengthen provincial, city, and municipal cultural institutions and protect local cultural workers while ensuring their professional development and well-being. — (FREEMAN)