Rational Insanity
Our houses as heritage
I just returned from Bohol after attending the International Conference on Heritage Houses and Vernacular Architecture, which explains why I have been 'absent' from TNT for two weeks. During the conference a couple of things pertaining to how people view the value of heritage houses in our society were discussed as well as technical matters about these houses.
It suddenly dawned on me that while in some parts of the country hundreds, or maybe even thousands of families have been choosing urbanization over the preservation of cultural heritage for obvious reasons, a handful have been zealously guarding this heritage, the houses in particular, if not for domestic reasons, largely because of the sentimental value represented by these structures. Sentimental value, in which case, translates into the preservation, and in cases where families are affluent enough to finance it, the restoration of heritage houses.
It is quite disheartening however that with this very limited handful of people who consider their houses structures with heritage value, technical assistance is quite scarce. Hence, the greatest challenge for people who want to preserve and restore their heritage houses is not really in the inherent desire to preserve a heritage house that edifies decades or even centuries of ancestry but in the very real obstacle posed by the sourcing of technical assistance. During the conference it was quite uplifting to realize that there are actually people focusing on the preservation and restoration of these houses, not only for reasons you would expect from homeowners of heritage houses but for the more monumental cultural reasons attached to these houses that reflect the social development and artistic history of the Filipino as a people holding fast to its identity despite of repeated colonization and foreign influence.
In Panay Island there are numerous heritage houses. Most of these houses are owned by families who have migrated to other countries. In such cases, the houses are left to caretakers or lessees. These houses have suffered great unintentional damage and most of this damage is caused by the lack of technical knowledge on how to preserve and restore such houses. Aside from just the damage that ignorance causes, urbanization, which tends to destroy the surrounding community where these heritage houses are located, also contributes to the steady but sure deterioration of the condition of these precious houses. Urbanization brings with it vibrations of heavy vehicles that pass by roads surrounding these houses, damage caused by dust layering on the fragile surfaces of these antiquities, as well as indiscriminate vandalism. On the outset, caretakers who also know nothing about preserving these structures, with the honest intention to guard and protect these structures, unknowingly cause damage themselves.
So, what are we supposed to do to preserve these treasures that are found in abundance in the island of Panay. Let us remember that while there are many provinces all over the Philippines with well preserved heritage houses like Vigan and Silay, Panay Island has not been left wanting of these treasures. The question is, how much longer will these treasures be among us?
The problem here is that we have not yet even began to identify these heritage houses. Perhaps the first step in an ongoing pursuit to preserve and restore these structures is an initial inventory of these houses. Doing an inventory of heritage houses is quite different from cultural mapping which has already been done by cultural workers because an inventory designed specifically to identify these heritage houses would carry more information vital to the preservation and restoration of these structures. After initially identifying these structures, the National Historical Institute and the National Museum could then help us in listing these houses under the heritage roster. With the declaration of these national agencies, the technical work can then begin. The technical phase of this would then involve the homeowners who play a very vital role because of their propriety over these structures as well as the experts (whom the NHI and the NM could provide) who would assist in the actual preservation and restoration process.
Ilonggos, Capiznons, Antiqueños, and Akeanons are a very cultural minded people, what with being a recognized haven for artists and art patrons alike, hence, it is but appropriate that culture in this part of the country should be more holistic than anywhere else in the country. These heritage houses are treasures that could not be re-built or refurbished when they have been wiped out from the landscape. If there is any other time to begin recognizing these treasures and moving fast to preserve and restore them it is now.
Be rational; be insane... every once in a while! TTFN!
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