PROTECTION OF HERITAGE BUILDINGS
According to Microsoft Bing, “The National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 is a Philippine law that aims to protect and conserve the country’s cultural heritage. The law created the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP), which is responsible for identifying, documenting, and protecting cultural properties that are at least 50 years old. The law also mandates the establishment of a National Cultural Heritage Committee that will oversee the implementation of the law and the preservation of cultural heritage sites.“
Since the law is very clear that buildings that are at least 50 years old could not be demolished or torn down, why is it that some heritage or cultural buildings are still being torn down?
One example of this is the iconic Philam Life Building in Ermita, Manila. It is about 60 years old, but the new owner, SM Development Corporation (SMDC) has apparently started tearing down the building, supposedly due to their plans to build a condo on that same site.
However, there are also news reports that SMDC has “promised” to preserve the Philam Life Theater itself, being a classic architectural wonder on its own. I am told that the quality of acoustics is so high inside such that so far, it has not been surpassed by the newer and more modern theaters in the country.
I hope that it is not too late already, but perhaps SMDC could look into “adaptive” use, which is the popular trend in Europe. Preserve the old building, but give it a new use.
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THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY
According to Wikipedia, “In criminology, the broken windows theory states that visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.[1] The theory suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, loitering, public drinking, jaywalking, and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness”.
The layman interpretation of the theory states that if there is even one broken window in a neighborhood, and it is not fixed, it could trigger the creation of other broken windows that could eventually lead to the deterioration of the community.
The first lesson here is to stop early signs of vandalism before it spreads and worsens.
The second lesson here is for police departments to become more vigilant in monitoring and detecting early signs that would indicate that the conditions for crime might already be growing or emerging in a neighborhood or community, instead of waiting for the actual crimes to happen, before they would take action.
The broken windows theory also applies to the preservation of real estate values. What that means is that the more deteriorated and vandalized a neighborhood is, the more likely that the real estate prices will go down. The safer the community is, the more housing starts there will be, and the more that the economy will grow.
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