“Conservation” shall refers to all the processes and measures of maintaining the cultural significance of

a cultural property, including but not limited to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection,
adaptation or any combination thereof;

Conservation: seeking to maintain and increase the value of buildings by keeping their original built form
and architectural elements.

Example: Ensuring the absolute maximum amount of the original material, in as unaltered a condition as
possible, is preserved.

Calle Crisologo

Vigan, Ilocos Sur

Though only 500 meters long, Calle Crisologo is one of the most beautiful streets in the Philippines. It
boasts a dense concentration of centuries-old stone houses, lovely tungsten lamps, and antique
cobblestone, where horse-drawn carriages or calesas still to this day are used for transport.

Calle Crisologo owes its name to the illustrious Ilocano poet, writer, and playwright Governor Marcelino
“Mena” Crisologo. Previously, the street was called Calle de Escolta de Vigan, whose residents were
mostly families who profited from the galleon trade that included Ilocos as a key port. When Governor
Crisologo died in 1927, the street was renamed Calle Crisologo in his honor. The street is part of Vigan’s
picturesque Heritage Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This consists of about 200 beautifully
restored houses dating back to the 16th century. The buildings on Crisologo particularly display a blend
of indigenous Filipino and colonial European construction.

Nowadays, the City of Vigan presents a virtuous example of cooperation between local communities and
the local government to ensure the preservation of its tangible and intangible heritage. With the
implementation of ‘The Vigan Conservation Program as a Tool for Development’, the local government
has maintained its focal position in engaging all stakeholders and guiding the local development in
compliance with the conservation of a unique heritage.

Cagsawa Ruins

Daraga, Albay

The Cagsawa Ruins, situated 11 kilometers from the foot of Mayon and 8 km from the provincial capital
of Legazpi City, is what is left of a Franciscan church built in 1724, believed to have been destroyed when
the volcano erupted in 1814.

In 2015, it was declared as a National Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.
Consequently, the Local Government of Albay together with the Department of Tourism allocated
budget for the protection, preservation, and promotion of the treasured piece of history. Moreover, the
Albay History and Culture Unit would take charge of the “conservation” vision for the Cagsawa Ruins and
would work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) for its
recognition as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Paoay Church

Restoration mainly focuses on keeping the materials from its most important period in the building’s
history, while permitting the removal of materials from other periods.

In most cases, restoration typically meets a few criteria. These include:

 Assessing the impact that restoration work would have on the building's heritage values.
 Strong support for the restoration project
 The form of the building as it currently exists is not the result of a historically significant event.
 The proposed work respects the place's previous forms.
 The proposed restoration's maintenance implications are sustainable.

Additionally, the term repair can often be associated with restoration; however, restoration may
provide conservation benefits that cannot be achieved through repair alone. For example, restoring the
roof on a roofless building may be the most cost-effective way of conserving valuable internal fabric,
such as wall paintings or plasterwork. It may also help to make the building physically and economically
sustainable in the long term.
In restoring an art object, piece of furnishing, or architecture, the most important requirement is the
final appearance. The client and restorer determine the most desirable period of an object’s life; and the
restorer does whatever is necessary to return the object’s appearance to that period.
Fort San Andres

Romblon, Romblon

Constructed in 1573 and was built under the supervision of Portuguese Friar Fray Pedro, also known as
El Padre Capitan, who famously thought the locals to defend themselves against invaders and pirates in
the mid-17th Century. The Fort was constructed out of Coral Blocks.

On 2012, the Province of Romblon was declared a Heritage Province by the National Commission for
Culture and The Arts (NCAA) through its Sub-Commission on Cultural Heritage (SCH). With this, Fort San
Andres was identified as a priority for the restoration work under its monuments and site projects. This
has encouraged some marble artists and students to participate and contribute to the restoration
project through a contest in making mosaic design out of marble materials in every landing of the steps
going up to the fort.

Chapel of St. Pancratius

Caloocan City, Metro Manila

Established in 1884, this chapel was built within the confines of what is said to be the oldest active
cemetery in Manila; the La Loma Catholic Cemetery which was originally known as Cementerio de
Binondo. It was built as a response to the environmental and health concerns during the Spanish period
and was later used as a fort by Filipino fighters during the Philippine-American War. With walls made of
adobe stone blocks, the chapel has an elaborate Pseudo-Baroque façade with the middle segment
unusually protruding like a Roman-era triumphal arch.

Today, the cemetery is a National Cultural Treasure and is one of the most beautiful in the country,
housing some great mausoleums and old tombs. It is the resting ground to some of the country’s
prominent personalities and heroes, including Chief Justices Cayetano Arellano and Victorino Mapa; Girl
Scout of the Philippines founder Josefa Llanes Escoda.

To save La Loma chapel from further deterioration the Diocese of Caloocan has partnered with Escuela
Taller de Filipinas Foundation Inc. to undertake conservation work. Overseen by the Ar. Foom Cobilla,
the work of restoration included the removal of invasive biological growth, cleaning and repointing of
the masonry, restoration of the relief decorations, and plastering of the exterior masonry for
preservation and aesthetic purposes. Plasterwork colors were based on archival research and chemical
tests done by the restoration team to determine the original colors of the exterior.

Panglao Watchtower

Tagbiliran City, Bohol

Built in 1851 within the church complex of San Agustin Parish in Panglao, it is a five-storey, hexagonal
tower with a pitched roof cover. Considered the tallest Spanish Colonial Period Watchtower in the
Philippines, it stands near the sea a few distances behind the church. Its six-sided design is considered
rare in the country. The National Museum Philippines has declared the watchtower of Panglao, along
with that of Maribojoc, Dauis, Balilihan, Loay, and Pamilacan, as a National Cultural Treasure on August
29, 2011.

The watchtower of Panglao sustained damages during the 7.2 magnitude Bohol Earthquake in October
2013 and was restored under the National Museum of the Philippines’ Heritage Site Restoration and
Reconstruction Program in Central Visayas. The scope of work included architectural documentation,
structural stabilization and consolidation of masonry walls, removal of vegetation, and repair and
retrofit of the roof and structural wood framing.

The Immaculate Conception Parish Church

Guiuan, Eastern Samar

Also known as La Inmaculada Concepción, or Guiuan Church, was founded by the Jesuits in 1595, and
completed by the Franciscans in 1844. It is one of the finest examples of Spanish colonial architecture in
the Philippines, and it is one of only a few churches to retain its original architectural design and interior
fittings. Furthermore, it is the only church in the Philippines that is decorated with natural shells and
coral throughout the interior. The church is declared as a National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines,
and it was on a tentative list of Philippine Baroque churches under consideration for UNESCO world
heritage site status (UNESCO 2006). Additionally, from 2001 onwards the church was part of a program
implemented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) which aimed to conserve 26
Spanish colonial-era churches through the National Museum of the Philippines (Alba 2003).

When the Super Typhoon Yolanda severely affected the islands of Samar and Leyte in 2013, the coral
stone church was entirely ruined. The National Museum of the Philippines with the help of University of
Melbourne and the locals partnered up for the restoration project. The original scope of work included
feasibility and engineering studies as well as emergency stabilization measures to halt the deterioration
of the coral masonry walls/interiors of both the church and the adjacent bell tower. In early 2016, the
scope of work was amended, and activities were made to focus instead on the restoration and
conservation of movable heritage such as ecclesiastical objects, ethnographic art, archeological artifacts,
main and side altars, and ceiling paintings, among others.

Manila Metropolitan Theater

Ermita, Manila

Inaugurated in 1931, the theater was designed by National Artist, Ar. Juan Arellano who was
commissioned by the US Government to build what would be the first national theatre of the
Philippines. Being the only existing Art Deco building of its size and integrity in Asia, it has been declared
a National Cultural Treasure and a National Historical landmark.

During World War II in 1945, some of its parts were bombed but fortunately only lost some of its roofing
and some of the walls. Considering the Battle for the Liberation of Manila is quite one of the greatest
tragedies of World War II, the survival of the “Grand Dame of Manila” signifies the strength of the
building, and probably signifies hope in every circumstance. After being damaged by the bombing during
the second world war, MET was initially refurbished with help from the Reparation Act of 1946 and the
P1 million fundraised by the Metropolitan Theater Company. The Theater was initially reopened four
times (1931,1946, 1978, and in 2010). But in 2015, it was bought by the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA) partnered with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the local
government of Manila and the Technical Working Committee (TWC) which was composed of
professionals and experts who gave advice on the restoration project. The Manila Metropolitan Theater
finally reopened its doors to the public on December 10, 2021.
Renovation is the process of improving a broken, damaged, or outdated structure. It refers to making
something look like new or bringing something back to life.

If you’re a budding developer, renovation might mean buying a property at a low price, doing it up and
then selling it for a profit. This could include modernizing, refurbishment, repairing or simply
redecorating.

Renovation: making improvements and/or repairs to a building, externally and/or internally.

Example: addition of an extension to a property, replastering, and redecorating.

Renovation simply means to make an object look like new. The object to be renovated is just a base or
starting point for the client/designer’s imagination. The object, materials and method of construction,
historical importance, or place in time are not critical. The object itself does not place restrictions on the
work to be done.

https://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/text/215350

https://www.njarchitects.co.uk/advice/know-renovation-restoration-preservation-conservation/
https://www.conservation-design.com/renovation-restoration-preservation-conservation

https://pia4b.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/ncca-restores-fort-san-andres-of-romblon/

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/06/27/a-cemetery-chapel-on-the-way-to-recovery/

https://www.liturgicalartsjournal.com/2022/08/rdg-ecclesiastical-architects.html

https://thephilippinestoday.com/panglao-watchtower/

https://ph.usembassy.gov/restoration-panglao-watchtower-panglao-island-bohol/

https://blogs.unimelb.edu.au/shaps-research/2020/09/30/restoring-and-conserving-the-parish-church-
at-guiuan/

https://bluprint.onemega.com/manila-metropolitan-theater-a-treasured-edifice-of-culture-and-the-
arts/

https://www.tatlerasia.com/lifestyle/arts/the-restored-manila-metropolitan-theater-repoens-on-april-
2021

https://www.connective-cities.net/en/good-practice-details/gutepraktik/heritage-conservation-as-a-
main-driver-for-urban-development

https://guidetothephilippines.ph/destinations-and-attractions/calle-crisologo

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/757672/cagsawa-ruins-near-mayon-to-get-a-face-lift