City officials recently recognized the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) structure in the city as an important cultural property.
In a resolution authored by all of the members, local legislators stated that pertinent portions of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 10066, otherwise known as the National Cultural heritage Act of 2009, explicitly provides that a structure that is at least 50 years old is considered an important cultural property, thus, as such, the same IRR mandates the protection of the said important cultural properties from any modification or alteration.
Section 8 of the said law states that for purposes of protecting a cultural property against exploitation, modification or demolition, the following works shall be considered important cultural property and Section 8.4 further states that unless declared or its presumption removed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), works of national heroes, movable or immovable structures marked by the NHCP or any of its predecessors or structures at least 50 years old, shall be considered important cultural property.
On November 6, 1942, the Iglesia ni Cristo first established a chapel in the city. In 1954, to accommodate the increasing number of members of the church, the construction of a concrete house of worship was approved by the church administration.
The construction of the concrete house of worship culminated in 1956 and was dedicated to the Lord through Brother Felix Y. Manalo on November 6, 1956.
The religious edifice, which became the local congregation of the city, was the first locally established congregation outside Manila.
Since it was built on a large area of 5,274 square meters, the structure also became INC’s district office of Benguet and Baguio City where additional improvements were further made thereon.
The council disclosed there is an ongoing implementation of the government’s road widening project of the Department of Public Works and Highways along Magsaysay |Avenue and Padre Burgos St. and that a portion of the said local congregation will be affected by the said project.
The body stipulated that to bar the implementation of the said project and to protect and preserve the local congregation and the property, the INC sought the intervention of the NHCP to have the same religious structure declared as an important cultural property.
Finding the same to be meritorious, it presumed the locale as such, thus, protected from any modification and demolition, thus, it also recommended to the local government to install a historical marker within the structure’s premises.
The council pointed out the need to abate the impending destruction of a substantial portion of the said religious structure and for the immediate installation of the necessary marker within the property.
