Spain pledges $.6 M in aid for Vigan restoration plan

Of all the towns that had been converted into bailiwicks by the

Spaniards for the longest time, Vigan, Ilocos Sur, has remained as the

only one with the biggest number of "bahay na kastila".

Through the years, it has enjoyed its reputation as one of the must-see places

for visitors who would go for culture and history. During the Spanish era, Vigan

was one of the towns with the heavy concentration of Espanols who later built

their casas.

According to the Department of Tourism, "Vigan is the Philippines" only

enduring example of a place with authentic 18th, 19th and 20th century

architecture still existing in a landscape that has continued to show traces of

its original setting.

It is among the top destinations endorsed by the DOT.

Vigan is getting a major support not just from the DOT but also from its

counterpart in Spain. A masterplan for the development of the historic center

of Vigan, capital town of Ilocos Sur, will be formulated jointly by Spain and the

Philippines, as stipulated in the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed

recently by thePhilippine and Spain government officials.

For the Philippine side, signatories were Tourism Sec. Gemma Cruz-Araneta,

chairperson of the Presidential Commission for the Restoration, Conservation

and Preservation of the Vigan Heritage Village., Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis Singson,

Vigan Mayor Eva Marie Media.

For the Spanish government, the signatories were Spain's secretary of State

for International Cooperation, Fernando Villalonga, president of Agencia

Espa?ola de Cooperacion Internacional (AECI).

Both countries will work hand-in-hand in implementing the Vigan development

masterplan in accordance with the program drafted by AECI on the

preservation of cultural heritage in countries where Spain shared its history or

countries it colonized for centuries. Spain has pledged US$ 639,398 in

technical assistance for the masterplan which has an 18-month timetable. The

assistance will fund not only the physical aspect but also the socio-economic

aspects like human development, community organization, education and

livelihood as the basis for sustainable uplift.

The project is aimed at promoting the preservation and conservation of Filipino

historical and cultural heritage and resources, and at developing tourism while

conserving the socio-cultural heritage, preserving the environment and

ensuring sustainable development.

Vigan is the longest, well-preserved historic city in the Philippines. There are

very few houses whose architecture and interior design have remained intact

but they are in bad shape. They badly need facelifting but the job has to be

done in such a way as to restore their original layout intact. As one of the

irreplaceable treasures of this country, its ancestral houses have to be saved.