, 
SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
) 
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:'is I:n:,1 Ii 
-: 
(~IfJff ~Jf nl~ ,'::'fnrbr\t 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'1,~ 
OEC-9 P4:04 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 2501 
Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF NATIONAL 
CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH ENHANCED CULTURAL HERITAGE 
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND CULTURAL MAPPING, AMENDING FOR THIS 
PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10066 OR THE NATIONAL CULTURAL 
HERITAGE ACT 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
Our culture is our story as a nation. It is the narrative that binds 
Filipinos regardless of ethnicity, social class, or educational background into a 
·common chronicle of tradition, trials, and triumph. 
The UNESCO considers cultural mapping as a vital tool and technique in 
providing society an overall framework in the preservation of its cultural 
heritage, either tangible or intangible. The documentation of these cultural 
elements cover a wide range of areas--built heritage such as architecture, 
tangible heritage such as traditional dwellings, intangible heritage such as 
indigenous skills, and natural heritage. The fundamental goal of cultural 
mapping is to educate and help the nation visualize its rich heritage while 
allowing for reflection of what it stands to lose as a result of its collective 
apathy. 
The Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs) were established in response to 
the approach of preservation of the arts through living form with the aim of 
transmitting indigenous skills and techniques to the young. It hopes to create 
and nurture the talents of culture specialist/master to "continue with their 
own work, develop and expand the frontiers of that work, and train younger 
people to take their place in the future." 
To further strengthen heritage conservation in the country, this bill seeks 
to amend Republic Act No. 10066 to mandate local government units (LGUs) to 
conduct a cultural heritage mapping of their areas for both tangible and 
intangible and natural and built heritage. This will be conducted in 
coordination with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of ,. 
Education (Deped), Department of Environment and Natural Resources 
(DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWHj, Department of 
Science and Technology (DST), and Department of Tourism (DOT). 
Furthermore, the country's key educational agencies-the DepEd, CHED 
and the TESDA-shall collaborate and work with the NCCA in implementing 
plans and programs that integrate and mainstream Philippine arts and culture, 


including SLTs, m the basic, tertiary, and technical-vocational education 
system. 
For the above-cited reasons, the passage of this bill is urgently sought. 
~~ 
LOR~DA 
Senator 


SIXTEENTH CONGRESS OF 
) 
THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
) 
Second Regular Session 
) 
'j(1 
DEC -9 P 4 :04 
SENATE 
S. B. NO. 2501 
Introduced by Senator LOREN LEGARDA 
AN ACT 
STRENGTHENING THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF 
NATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH ENHANCED CULTURAL 
HERITAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND CULTURAL MAPPING, 
AMENDING FOR THIS PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10066 OR THE 
NATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE ACT 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
Philippines in Congress assembled: 
1 
SECTION 1. Section 3 of R.A. No. 10066 is hereby amended to read as 
2 
follows: 
3 
4 
"Section 3. Definition of Terms. - For purposes of this Act, the following 
5 
terms shall be defined as follows: 
6 
(a) "Adaptive reuse" shall refer to the utilization of buildings, other 
7 
built-structures and sites of value for purposes other than that for 
8 
which they were intended originally, in order to conserve the site, their 
9 
engineering integrity and authenticity of design. 
10 
(b) "Anthropological area" shall refer to any place where studies of 
11 
specific ethno-linguistic groups are undertaken, the properties of which 
12 
are of value to our cultural heritage. 
13 
(c) "Antique" shall refer to a cultural property found locally which is one 
14 
hundred (100) years in age, more or less, the production of which has 
15 
ceased. 
16 
(d) "Archaeological area" shall refer to any place, whether above or 
17 
under ground, underwater or at sea level, containing fossils, artifacts 
18 
and other cultural, geological, botanical, zoological materials which 
19 
depict and document culturally relevant paleontological, prehistoric, 
20 
and/ or historic events. 
21 
(e) "Archives" shall refer to public and private records in any format 
22 
which have been selected for permanent preservation because of their 
23 
evidential, historical informational value; otherwise known as archival 
24 
materials 
collections 
or 
archival 
holdings; 
the 
place 
25 
(building/room/ storage area) where archival materials are kept and 
26 
preserved; and an organization or agency or part thereof whose main 
1 


1 
responsibility is to appraise, arrange, describe, conserve, promote and 
2 
make archival materials available for reference and research, also 
3 
known as archival agency 
4 
(f) "Built heritage/TANGIBLE HERITAGE" shall refer to architectural 
5 
and engineering structures such as, but not limited to, bridges, 
6 
government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, 
7 
quartels, 
train 
stations, 
lighthouses, 
small 
ports, 
educational, 
8 
technological and industrial complexes, and their settings, and 
9 
landscapes 
with 
notable 
historical 
and 
cultural 
significance. 
10 
PROTECTION OF EACH STRUCTURE SHALL ALSO TAKE INTO 
11 
CONSIDERATION THE MAINTENANCE OF THE INTEGRITY OF ITS 
12 
VISUAL CORRIDOR AND/OR LINE OF SIGHT. 
13 
(g) "Collector" shall refer to any person who or institution that acquires 
14 
cultural property for purposes other than sale. 
15 
(h) "Commission" shall refer to the National Commission for Culture 
16 
and the Arts (NCCA). 
17 
(i) "Conservation" shall refer to all the processes and measures of 
18 
maintaining the cultural significance of a cultural property including, 
19 
but not limited to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, 
20 
adaptation or any combination thereof. 
21 
(j) "Cultural agencies" shall refer to the following national government 
22 
agencies with their specific areas of responsibility: National Museum 
23 
(cultural property); the National Library (books); National Historical 
24 
Institute (Philippine history); National Archives (documents); Cultural 
25 
Center of the Philippines (culture and the arts); and KomisyonsaWikang 
26 
Filipino (language). 
27 
(k) "Cultural education" shall refer to the teaching and learning of 
28 
cultural concepts and processes. 
29 
(1) "Cultural heritage" shall refer to the totality of cultural property 
30 
preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity. 
31. 
(M) "CULTURAL HERITAGE MAPPING" SHALL REFER TO THE 
32 
APPROACH USED TO IDENTIFY, RECORD, AND USE CULTURAL 
33 
RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES FOR BUILDING COMMUNITIES. IT IS 
34 
A 
SET OF ACTIVITIES AND 
PROCESSES FOR EXPLORING, 
35 
DISCOVERING, 
DOCUMENTING, 
EXAMINING, 
ANALYZING, 
36 
INTERPRETING, 
PRESENTING 
AND 
SHARING 
INFORMATION 
37 
RELATED TO PEOPLE, COMMUNITIES, SOCIETIES, PLACES AND 
38 
THE MATERIAL PRODUCTS AND PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH 
39 
THEM. 
40 
41 ' 
[(m)](N) "Cultural heritage worker" shall refer to an individual 
42 
undertaking cultural heritage work. 
43 
44 
[(n)](O) "Cultural institution" shall refer to entities engaged primarily in 
cultural work. 
2 


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[(o)J(P) "Cultural property" shall refer to all products of human creativity 
by which a people and a nation reveal their identity, including 
churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, schools and 
natural history specimens and sites, whether public or privately-owned, 
movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible. 
[(p)J(Q) "Dealers" shall refer to natural or juridical persons who acquire 
cultural property for the purpose of engaging in the acquisition and 
disposition of the same. 
[(q)](R) "Heritage zone" shall refer to historical, anthropological, 
archaeological, artistic geographical areas and settings that are 
culturally significant to the country, as declared by the National 
Museum and/ or the National Historical Institute. 
[(r)J(S) "History" shall refer to a written record of past events relating to 
Philippine history. 
[(s)J IT) "Historical landmarks" shall refer to sites or structures that are 
associated with events or achievements significant to Philippine history 
as declared by the National Historical Institute. 
[(t)J(U)"Historical monuments" shall refer to structures that honor 
illustrious persons or commemorate events of historical value as 
declared by the National Historical Institute. 
[(u)J(V) "Historical shrines" shall refer to historical sites or structures 
hallowed and revered for their history or association as declared by the 
National Historical Institute. 
[(v)](W) "Historical street name" shall refer to a street name which has 
been in existence for at least fifty (50) years and over time has been 
considered historic. 
[(w)](X) "Important cultural property" shall refer to a cultural property 
having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the 
Philippines, as shall be determined by the National Museum and/or 
National Historical Institute. 
[(x)J(Y) "Intangible cultural heritage" shall refer to the practices, 
representations, expressions, knowledge and skills, as well as the 
instruments, 
objects 
and 
artifacts 
associated 
therewith, 
that 
communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their cultural 
heritage, such as: (1) oral traditions, languages and expressions; (2) 
performing arts; (3) social practices, rituals and festive events; (4) 
knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and (5) 
traditional craftsmanship. 
[(y))(Z) "Intangible cultural property" shall refer to the peoples' learned 
processes along with the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform 
and are developed by them, the products they create and the resources, 
spaces and other aspects of social and natural context necessary for 
their sustainability. 
[(z))(AA) "Library" shall refer to an institution where the collection of 
books, manuscripts, computerized information and other materials are 
3 


1 
organized to provide physical, bibliographic and/ or intellectual access 
2 
to the public, with a librarian that is trained to provide services and 
3 
programs related to the information needs of its clientele. 
4 
[(aa)](BB) "Museum" shall refer to a permanent institution that 
5 
researches, acquires, conserves, communicates and exhibits the 
6' 
material evidence of humans and their environment for purposes of 
7 
education or leisure. 
8 
[(bb)](CC) "National cultural treasure" shall refer to a unique cultural 
9 
property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, 
10 
artistic and/ or scientific value which is highly significant and important 
11 
to the country and nation, and officially declared as such by pertinent 
12 
cultural agency. 
13 
[(cc)](DD) "Nationally significant" shall refer to historical, aesthetic, 
14 . 
scientific, technical, social and/ or spiritual values that unify the nation 
15 
by a deep sense of pride in their various yet common identities, cultural 
16 
heritage and national patrimony. 
17 
(EE) "NATURAL HERITAGE" SHALL REFER TO THE FLORA AND 
18 
FAUNA, THE NATURAL BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS 
19 
OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER RELATED ECOSYSTEMS AND 
20 
BIODIVERSITY, WHETHER TERRESTRIAL, WETLAND OR MARINE. 
21 
[(dd)](FF) "Natural property of cultural significance" shall refer to areas 
22 
possessing outstanding ecosystem with flora and fauna of national 
23 
scientific importance under the National Integrated Protected Areas 
24 
System. 
25 
[(ee)](GG) "NCCA Portal Cultural Databank" refers to the specific 
26 
domain in the Commission's intranet for cultural information that is 
27 
accessed only internally with control and confidentiality. It includes the 
28 
registry of national cultural property 
29 
[(ff)](HH) "Prehistory" shall refer to the period of human history before 
30 
the introduction of the forms of writing. 
31 
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33 
[(gg)](U) "Registry" shall refer to the Philippine Registry of Cultural 
Property which is the registry of all cultural property of the country 
deemed of significant importance to our cultural heritage. 
34 
[(hh)](JJ) "Restoration" shall refer to the action taken or the technical 
35 
intervention to correct deterioration and alterations. 
36 
[(ii)](KK) "Tangible cultural property" shall refer to a cultural property 
37 
with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological, artistic and 
38 
architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional production, 
39 
whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural 
40 
history specimens with significant value." 
41 
42 
SECTION 2. A new Section 14 on Republic Act 10066 is hereby inserted to 
43 
read as follows: 
44 
45 
4 


1 . 
ARTICLE V 
2 
CULTURAL MAPPING 
3 
4 
SECTION 14. CULTURAL MAPPING BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT 
5 
UNITS. -
LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS ARE HEREBY MANDATED TO 
6 
CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE CULTURAL HERITAGE MAPPING OF 
7 
THEIR AREAS, INCLUDING TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE HERITAGE AND 
8 
NATURAL 
AND 
BUILT 
HERITAGE 
STRUCTURES. 
THE 
LOCAL 
9 
GOVERNMENT 
UNITS 
SHALL 
MOBILIZE 
AND 
PARTNER 
WITH 
10 
CONCERNED 
AGENCIES 
TO 
ENSURE 
PROMPT 
AND 
EFFECTIVE 
11 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS ACT. ALL FINDINGS AND OUTPUTS SHALL 
12 
BE SUBMITTED AND REGISTERED IN THE PHILIPPINE REGISTRY OF 
13 
CULTURAL PROPERTY. 
14 
15 
APART FROM CULTURAL AGENCIES, LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS 
16 
ARE ALSO ENJOINED TO WORK WITH THE FOLLOWING AGENCIES FOR 
17 
THE CONDUCT OF CULTURAL MAPPING: 
18 
19 
(i) 
COMMISSION 
ON 
HIGHER 
EDUCATION 
(CHED) 
FOR 
20 
INSTITUTING 
CULTURAL 
AWARENESS 
IN 
STATE 
21 
UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES; 
22 
(ii) 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DA) FOR THE INVENTORY 
23 
OF NATURAL FIBER IN THE COUNTRY; 
24 
(iii) 
DEPARTMEN1' OF EDUCATION (DEPED) FOR INSTITUTING 
25 
CULTURAL AWARENESS IN BASIC EDUCATION; 
26 
(iv) 
DEPARTMENT 
OF 
ENVIRONMENT 
AND 
NATURAL 
27 
RESOURCES (DENR) FOR THE INVENTORY OF NATURAL 
28 
PARKS, BIODIVERSITY AND ENDEMICITY; 
29 
(V) 
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS (DPWH) 
30 
FOR ITS PROGRAMS ON HERITAGE ZONES AND SITES 
31 
AND PLACES OF SIGNIFICANCE; 
32 
(vi) 
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (DOST) FOR 
33 
ITS INVENTORY ON NATURAL SOURCES OF DYES AND 
34 
OTHER PERTINENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOR 
35 
THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY SECTOR IN THE COUNTRY; 
36 
(vii) 
DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM (DOT) FOR THEIR EXISTING 
37 
TOURISM PLANS FOR DECLARED NATIONAL AND WORLD 
38 
HERITAGE SITES. 
39 . 
40 
The succeeding sections shall be renumbered accordingly. 
41 
42 
43 
SECTION 3. Section 39 of R.A. No. 10066 is hereby amended to read as 
44 
follows: 
45 
46 
"Section 39. Cultural Heritage Education Programs. -Within one (1) 
47 
year from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education, the 
48 
Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission 
49 
on Higher Education, in consultation with the Commission, shall set forth in 
50 
its teaching programs nationwide the following cultural heritage education 
51 
programs with emphasis at the provincial, city and municipal levels: 
52 
53 
(a) Protection, conservation and preservation of cultural heritage 
54 
properties; 
55 
(b) Instructional materials in print, film and broadcast media on the 
56 
cultural and historical significance of cultural properties; [and] 
5· 


1 
(C) INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS, SKILLS AND PRACTICES 
2 
(IKSSP) THROUGH THE APPROPRIATE "SCHOOLS OF LIVING 
3 
TRADITIONS (SLTS)" MODELS; AND 
4 
(d) Visitation, public accessibility and information dissemination on 
5 
designated local cultural properties." 
6 
7 
8 
SECTION. 4. Separability Clause. - Any portion or provision of this Act that 
9 
may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other 
10 
portions or provisions hereof as long as such remaining provisions can still 
11 
subsist and be given effect. 
12 
SECTION 5. Repealing Clause. -
All laws, executive orders, presidential 
13 
decrees, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with any 
14 
provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly. 
15 
SECTION 6. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days 
16 
after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
17 
Approved, 
6