VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – Officials of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) yesterday asked the Philippine government to allocate a special budget for the preservation of old public and private historical structures nationwide, so that the country’s rich cultural heritage will be preserved.
Ricardo Favis of Unesco said there is a legislative measure, the Heritage Bill, which Sen. Loren Legarda filed in the Senate calling on the government to give special attention to l old historical structures which have rich cultural significance,
Favis and other Unesco officials together with Vigan City officials went around the city's Heritage Village late Monday afternoon to inspect the famous antique houses and structures of this capital of Ilocos Sur.
Riding on 25 calesas, the Unesco and city officials along with delegates to the World Heritage Education Project 2nd Sub-regional Workshop for Southeast Asia went around until past 6:30 p.m.
"The local government led by Vigan City Mayor Eva Singson Medina has its own budget to preserve the structures but the national government, especially the Department of Tourism (DoT), does not have funds," Favis said.
He noted that the governments of countries like Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, Netherlands, United States, China, United Kingdom, and Norway have special budgets to preserve their old structures.
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