The National Historic Commission of the Philippines that
is responsible for the conservation and
preservation of the country's historical legacies as stated in RA 10086 together with the National Museum
of the Philippines does not recognize Philam Life Building as important cultural property, national
historic landmark or National Culture Treasure because it has been assessed as failing to meet the
necessary criteria for historical and or cultural significance. It is clearly ineligible for heritage
preservation. In other words, there has been less to no legal basis, to be considered Philam Life as
heritage building.
According to Republic Act 10066, The Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 – the law that aims to
protect, preserve, conserve and promote the nation's cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the
ethnicity of local communities. NCCA Resolution No. 2017 - 330, Adopting the Guidelines Governing
the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property – it proves here that the Philam Life Building is not recognize
and not qualified as a heritage structure.
Section 5. Cultural Properties and Inventories to be Registered
For purposes of protecting a cultural property against exportation, modification or demolition, the
following works shall be considered important cultural property, unless declared otherwise by the
pertinent cultural agency:
Section 5.1 Grade 1 level cultural properties including:
5.1.7 Heritage Zone as declared by the National Museum and/or the NHCP in
consultation with the Commission and, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board and
other concerned agencies.
Section 5.2 Grade 2 level or Important Cultural Properties (ICPs) including:
5.2 Works by National Artist unless declared by the appropriate cultural agencies, or its
presumption removed by the commission.
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The architectural significance of Philam Life is not distinct on its own context. The concept and
construction techniques stated has been already used and applied to other buildings built on the same
architectural period, therefore not unique. For example, the use of brise-soleil has been already seen on
the engineering-architecture UST building in 1950 by Ar. Julio Rocha Ruano, that is considered the first
building to successfully use sun brise soleil. The international style that focuses mainly on cartesian grid
and predominance of reinforced concrete rectangular form and absence of decoration has widely used by
the 3rd generation architects such as Cesar Concio on his Melchor Hall in UP Diliman built in 1957.
Furthermore, the concept of thin concrete shell has already been applied on the church of the holy
sacrifice in UP Diliman Campus in 1955 made by national artist Juan Nakpil.
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In conclusion, with the presented arguments and research, Philam Life Building lacks value and
significance to be considered as heritage building thus ineligible to heritage preservation. The cultural
value in which the Philam Life Theater provides tend to weaken its role as Cultural Center of the
Philippines is constructed. In terms of architectural values, it has been found that the value of it is not
distinct to its own context. As stated on our evidence, the building itself had lack significance, there is
lack of architectural unique feature. Furthermore, based on the criteria of National Commission for
Culture and the Art under its agencies clearly says that the place and the building itself had discrepancy to
be qualified as a heritage structure and not even on the heritage zone as stipulated in NCCA Resolution
No. 2017 - 330, Adopting the Guidelines Governing the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property
(PRECUP) under Republic Act 10066, The Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. In other words, the law speaks
and decides already, and we can’t justify a case without proper and enough legal basis. At this point, I
would like to leave a quote from Renzo Piano stating that, one of the great beauties of architecture is that
each time it is like life starting all over again. As the time moves forward, the function of the society
became more complex and people’s need is growing and so, architecture must also and need to adapt on
those changes yet guided with the memory and learnings of the past. And with the case of Philam Life
Building, the commercialization on the property will surely give its another purpose and life, a life like it
is starting all over again.
