Custom Search

Please save our walls!

Posted on March 7, 2007

I have known about this story first from fellow travel blogger Ivan Henares. With all the insensitivities and callousness of our government officials, I wasn’t surprised at this. I was freaking mad.

Last week, Ivan posted several photos in his blog about the construction work currently done RIGHT BESIDE the historic walls of Intramuros. This supposed project is a brainchild of Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) chairman Robert Dean Barbers.

Barbers is just so ignorant of laws. He shouldn’t be appointed as the PTA chief in the first place. He doesn’t have the competency to lead the organization.

Is Mr. Barbers aware of the Presidential Decree 1616? If he is, then we might just remind him that Intramuros doesn’t belong to him. Intramuros is national treasure owned by the Filipino people. And he doesn’t have the right to build anything according to his whims.

And did you know that Mr. Barbers even continued the construction of this sports facility even if the PTA Board has disapproved the construction plan? According the the last e-mail sent by Ivan, Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has already sent a memorandum to Barbers to stop the construction.

If you wish to save the priceless walls of Intramuros, please spread this word to your colleagues. You can also send your thoughts and complaints to the following:

Hon. Joseph Ace Durano
Chairperson, Intramuros Administration
Chairperson, Philippine Tourism Authority
jadurano@tourism.gov.ph

Prof. Ambeth R. Ocampo
Chairperson, National Historical Institute
Chairperson, National Commission for Culture and the Arts
aocampo@ateneo.edu
nhi@ideal-access.ph
oc@ncca.gov.ph

Dominador C. Ferrer Jr.
Administrator
Intramuros Administration
Palacio del Gobernador Building,
Intramuros, Manila 1000
5273155; 5275642; 5273084

Atty. Trixie Cruz-Angeles
Head, Committee on Monuments and Sites
National Commission for Culture and the Arts
trixiecruzangeles@yahoo.com