Although the famous (or infamous?) Pilipinas, Kay Ganda! logo of our tourism department was already shredded, it was only recently when (one early evening while I was at the church yard) the said logo, together with the theme or logo officially adopted in the Master Plan for the Paoay Heritage District, crossed my mind.
The theme of the Master Plan is:
The theme of the Master Plan is:
Paoay Impressions!
Ambiente Paoay
History, Culture, Arts and Crafts
The original and official text font was set in Prose Antique and Garamond, but the word processor of my computer does not have such font.
I heard that the Pilipinas, Kay Ganda! was supposedly adopted to propel the tourism programs of the Government, thus will effectively replace the Wow Philippines! But more controversies came about, I guess, when there were criticisms as to its layout itself which was reportedly lifted from the tourism logo of Poland! It was indeed infamous because it even caused to the resignation of a tourism official.
What happened to our own? -- the Paoay Impressions! Ambiente Paoay. We used to have it as an accompanying theme of fiesta celebrations, the Guling-guling festival, and such other instances inscribed in streamers, posters and the like to spotlight the Paoay Heritage District conservation and protection efforts as well as the endemic traditions of Paoay.
To date, I believe, the Master Plan is still there. It has to be there, or if not, its replacement plan; otherwise it has an implication to the status of the Church as a World Heritage Site. Thus, if the Plan is still there and being pursued, then necessarily the said theme should also be used in order for us to be consistent. Consistency of plans, projects and activities must be ensured because we are dealing here with a cultural property inscribed in the prestigious World Heritage List.
Paoay town icon
The San Agustin Church, popularly known as Paoay Church, is really the foremost tourism asset and the top tourist attraction of our town. Remove or disregard Paoay Church, then tourism is practically dead in the place. Indeed, the church is the icon of the town.
As one of those who actually and dutifully did his expected roles then, it is thus naturally tempting for me to express my happiness while I merrily recall my participation, because I can see more the results of cooperative efforts. I was actively involved then in the activities and projects of the Paoay Task Force, like attending those Paoay Task Force meetings, planning sessions, trainings and workshops, and hosting other related activities.
Only recently, I was so happy to see beautiful pictures frequently posted in the various social networking sites in the Internet. Those pictures really show the majestic view of the Church structure enhanced by the newly installed lighting facilities and pathways improvement. The project is another component prescriptions of the Master Plan, and courtesy of Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).
The project cost was P8.3 million. I hosted PTA representatives when they did the legwork of planning and designing the lighting facilities. Then last March 2010, I received a text message from a Department of Tourism (DOT) national official informing me of the approval of the Paoay Church Lighting Project and its implementation soonest. I texted her back informing that I am not anymore connected with the Municipal Government, but the DOT official texted me again: “Yes. At least recognition should still go to you for your efforts even if the project did not materialize during your term.” She sent me, through the provincial tourism officer, a photocopy of the documents relative to the approval of the project. It is really heartwarming to see another fruit of participation. I saved in my cellular phone the text message as part of my remembrance.
Speaking of remembrance, I also remember those local legislative supports I managed to introduced. One is an ordinance establishing the Paoay Heritage District to provide the legislative requirements of institutionalizing the Master Plan, and to regulate certain activities thereat in furtherance to the conservation of the site. For example, there should be a Design Review Board to evaluate the building designs to be constructed in the Heritage District, so with designs of signages, be it institution or business, so that they will enhance the historic and aesthetic character of the site. This is just one of those unimplemented provisions, reason for which we sometimes see any design or any color used for those structures located in the site because of no functional review board.
Another is an ordinance establishing the Municipal Cultural & Tourism Council. I am so happy that until now it is the lead entity dealing with local cultural events, although I feel it needs some revisiting now, particularly its structure and basis of representations of some. I also proposed a Management Plan for the Heritage District to establish a system of responsibility to administer the site. There were also public consultations we had with residents and stakeholders purposely to educate each other about the status of the site and our shared responsibilities. I remember also those "minor frictions" because of certain issues between the church officials and some implementing agencies on one hand, between some officials and some residents on the other hand because of petty politics.
But as I learned from others experience, such is natural menu in heritage conservation projects -- a lot of people are not that receptive at the beginning. And I can remember those annoying issues concocted by people who were ignorant of the components of the Master Plan, criticizing the installation of road barriers that will regulate the passage of heavy trucks near the church, because their vibrations might aggravate the tilting of the facade; relocation of parking or old terminals of tricycles because they obstruct the nice view; and regulate vehicle parking inside the church yard. I am sure others have also some stories to tell about their participation. Share them.
Conservation plan
The inscription of Paoay Church, or any natural or cultural property for that matter, in the World Heritage List presupposes the presence of a functional plan. Item No. (v) of General Principles in the Establishment of the World Heritage List, as stated in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, provides:
(v) “Inscriptions of sites shall be deferred until evidence of the full commitment of the nominating government, within its means, is demonstrated. Evidence would take the forms of relevant legislation, staffing, funding, and management plans, as described below in Paragraph 24 (b) for cultural properties, and In Paragraph 44 (b) (vi) for natural properties.” (underscoring supplied)
Pursuant further to that Operational Guidelines, the “Format and Content of Nominations” shall provide information and documentation on the following: (1) Identification of the Property, (2) Justifications for Inscription, (3) Description, (4) Management (5) Factors Affecting the Site, (6) Monitoring, (7) Documentation, and (8) Signature on Behalf of the State Party.
The general principle and format thus imply the necessity of formulating a Master Plan, plus those relevant pieces of local legislation. They suggest the necessity of a management plan to be carried out by able staff complement. They justify the constitution of the Paoay Task Force because the Philippines is the Nominating Government for its inscription. They provide the reasons why funding are to be allocated by the member- agencies in the Paoay Task Force for specific projects that will maintain its outstanding universal value, as well as to protect it from deterioration leading to the lost of the characterstics that determined its inclusion in the World Heritage List, otherwise the Paoay Church would be placed on the World Heritage in Danger List and for possible deletion from the World Heritage List.
The Master Plan for the Paoay Heritage District was adopted in 1999. It is the result of those series of consultations, prepared by technical experts, and adopted by the stakeholders.
The Master Plan has four major components: (1) Church Restoration and Rehabilitation; (2) Place Improvement, (3) Development Control, and (4) Enterprise Development and Revenue Generation.The expected results create, in a nutshell, a Paoay Impressions! Ambiente Paoay
Paoay Church was nominated to the World Heritage List in 1992 and officially inscribed in 1993. Per the copy of the “Nomination Dossier and other UNESCO World Heritage information materials” sent to me then on November 5, 1998 by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and Acting Secretary General Rosario G. Manalo of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, after I attended the series of seminar-workshops on heritage conservation sponsored by UNESCO-NCP and DOT, the Paoay Church “is considered to be of outstanding universal value and is nominated to the World Heritage List under criteria (i), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi)”.
The Paoay Church is a cultural property and based on the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, the said criteria to which the nomination was based were as follows:
(i) represents a masterpiece of human creative genius; or
(ii) x x x
(iii) bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a
civilization which is living or which has disappeared; or
civilization which is living or which has disappeared; or
(iv) be an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological
ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history; or
(v) be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement or land-use which is
representative of a culture (or cultures), especially when it has become vulnerable
under the impact of irreversible change; or
under the impact of irreversible change; or
(vi) be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or
with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance (the
Committee considers that this criterion should justify inclusion in the List only in
exceptional circumstances and in conjunction with other criteria cultural or natural);
x x x
Based on the said Nomination Dossier, let me reproduce a significant portion of stated “Description and Inventory”, thus:
“b) Description and Inventory:
x x x
The church of San Agustin was commenced in 1694 and partly completed in 1702, final completion in 1710. The coralstone bellower, standing at some distance from the church for earthquake protection, was finished in the second half of the eighteenth century. The belltower façade features the unusual arrangement of rusticated pilasters on the second level, the reverse of the usual order in Europe. Since normally Philippine belltowers awere constructed apart from the main church structure, at san Agustin this arrangement was exaggerated and the tower stands quite a distance from the side of the church, located in the next block. This church is the most outstanding variant of “earthquake Baroque” as first described by Pal Keleman in reference to Latin America. Its phalanx of buttresses are certainly the most massive of its kind in the Philippines. Fourteen are formed along the lines of a gigantic volute supporting a smaller one, surmounted in turn bu pyramidal finials. A pair of buttresses along the middle of the length of the nave are stairways probably used for roof access. The volute motif appears again in miniature along the stone wall enclosing the expansive church yard. The lower half of the apse and most of the walls were constructed of cut coralstone blocks. The upper level was finished in brick. Curiously, the order is reversed in the façade, with heavier coralstone blocks occupying the upper levels and finials. Irregularly shaped blocks with carved floral decorations flank some entrances and may be remnants of an earlier building. On the façade, the decorative carving is limited only to the uppermost levels, with the lower two-thirds a massive blank. The visual impact of the massive volute buttresses and the exaggerated distance of the pagoda-like belltower as further earthquake protection make this property the most outstanding example of a structure braced against natural occurrences, another Philippine variant in the world-wide development of the Periferal Baroque.”
Monitoring of World Heritage Site
As a World Heritage Site, the state of conservation of the Paoay Church is naturally being monitored of World Heritage Committee. According to the Operational Guidelines, it has a systematic monitoring and reporting, which means “the continuous process of observing the conditions of World Heritage Sites with periodic reporting on its state of conservation.”
It further states: “It is the prime responsibility of the State Parties to put in place on-site monitoring arrangement as integral component of day-to-day conservation and management of the sites. State Parties should do so in close coordination with the site managers or the agency with management authority. It is necessary that every year the conditions of the site be recorded by the site manager or the agency with management authority”.
It is noted that State Parties are invited to submit to the World Heritage Committee a scientific report on the state of conservation once every five years.
Going back to those beautiful pictures posted in the Internet, I suggested to some of our concerned local officials that maybe it is good to come up with a Paoay Church Viewbook Project. The Viewbook is a compilation of even just 20 selected pictures, with captions, chosen from entries or contributions . We could print out or publish one Viewbook every 3 months.
This could be done through a sort of a contest, prizes be given to those selected pictures. The Viewbook could be printed and reproduced as an educational materials in our schools, souvenir, and even token for visiting friends and guests.
I hope they will consider my humble suggestion. Or I will not be surprised if someone will do it for business. If only I have the means.
But the Paoay Church is still our church. Fine if it is a tourist attraction, but it should and must be first a place of worship.
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