TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
821
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25 AUG -4 PI -BB
RECEiVtD Bi
S. No.
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
DECLARING QUIAPO DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF MANILA A NATIONAL 
HERITAGE ZONE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Quiapo is one of the oldest and most culturally significant districts in the City 
of Manila. It is home to iconic landmarks such as the Minor Basilica of the Black 
Nazarene, San Sebastian Basilica, Plaza Miranda, and various ancestral houses, 
mosques, and heritage streetscapes. As a historical crossroads of Filipino, Chinese, 
Spanish, and Muslim cultures, Quiapo embodies the pluralistic roots of the Filipino 
identity. It has long served as a center of religious devotion, artisanal trade, 
intellectual activity, and civic expression.
Despite its historical and architectural richness, the district faces increasing 
pressure from rapid urbanization, neglect, and inadequate heritage protection. 
Several heritage buildings and cultural spaces are at risk of irreversible deterioration, 
while local communities struggle to benefit from inclusive and sustainable 
development.
This bill declares the Quiapo District a National Heritage Zone to provide it 
with the necessary policy framework, institutional coordination, and resource support 
for its conservation and revitalization. It aligns with the National Cultural Heritage 
Act of 2009 (RA No. 10066) and seeks to mainstream heritage protection into local 
development planning.


The measure mandates the creation of a Quiapo Heritage Zone Development 
Plan, which shall guide the preservation, restoration, and adaptive reuse of the 
district's historic sites and structures. It also supports infrastructure improvements, 
cultural research, environmental management, and stakeholder engagement to 
ensure that development efforts honor the district's unique character.
By safeguarding Quiapo's tangible and intangible heritage, this bill supports 
cultural tourism, creative livelihoods, urban resilience, and national pride, ensuring 
that present and future generations can continue to draw meaning and inspiration 
from this living cultural landscape.
In view of the foregoing, the urgent passage of this bill is earnestly sought.
LOREN LEGARDA


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TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session
SENATE
S. No. 821
^eiinte
of the •••■•e'.n?
25 AUG-4 PI 38
RECEIVtD S'f.
Introduced by Senator Loren Legarda
AN ACT
DECLARING QUIAPO DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF MANILA A NATIONAL 
HERITAGE ZONE, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR 
OTHER PURPOSES
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled:
Section 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Quiapo Heritage Zone
Act."
Sec. 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to undertake 
initiatives that will protect, preserve, conserve, and promote the nation's historical 
and cultural heritage, property, and artistic creations.
Sec. 3. Coverage. - This Act shall apply to all cultural properties ranging from 
cultural treasures, important cultural properties, heritage sites, historical shrines, 
historical monuments, historical landmarks, archaeological and traditional 
ethnographic materials, works of national heroes, marked structures, and structures 
and archival materials dating at least fifty (50) years old within the Quiapo District 
located in the City of Manila.
Sec. 4. Quiapo Heritage Zone. - The Quiapo District in the City of Manila is 
hereby declared a heritage zone as defined in Article II, Section 3(q) and Article III, 
Sections 4 and 5 of Republic Act No. 10066 as amended, otherwise known as the 
"National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009." As such, it shall be accorded priority 
development by the Department of Tourism (DOT), in coordination with the Local 
Government of the City of Manila, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts


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(NCCA), the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), Tourism
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Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), the Department of Public
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Works and Highways (DPWH), and other concerned government agencies, and shall
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be subject to the rules and regulations governing the conservation and preservation
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of heritage zones following internationally accepted standards.
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For the purpose of this Act, the built heritage sites in the historical and
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cultural heritage zone shall include but not be limited to the following:
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a. Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene
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b. Minor Basilica of San Sebastian
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c. Masjid Al-Dahab
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d. Plaza del Carmen
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e. Plaza Miranda
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f. Quinta Market
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g. Nakpil-Bautista House
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h. Paterno House
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i. Zamora House
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j. Estrella House
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k. Genato House
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I. Zaragoza House
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m. Casa Consulado
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n. Ocampo-Santiago House
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0. Ocampo Pagoda Mansion
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p. Padilla Art Gallery
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q. Casa Boix
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r. La Estricista Site
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s. Calle Hidalgo
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t. Calle Argelui
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u. Calle Bautista
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V. Calle Bilibid Viejo
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w. Calle de Guzman
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X. Globo de Oro Street


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Sec. 5. Quiapo Heritage Zone Development Plan. - The City Government of
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Manila, in coordination with DOT, TIEZA, NCCA, NHCP, DPWH, and other concerned
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agencies, shall, within one year after the approval of this Act, prepare the
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development plan involving the protection, preservation, restoration, rehabilitation,
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conservation, maintenance, and promotion of the city's cultural heritage and of
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appropriate facilities which shall enhance the area: Provided, that the said
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development shall ensure the preservation of the cultural heritage and the historical
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significance of the identified area.
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Relevant organizations and individual participants shall be consulted in public
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hearings and drafting sessions. Research shall be conducted on the heritage sites'
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architectural, artistic, social, political, and personal histories and shall be
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incorporated into the plan in order to assist the concerned government agencies and
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stakeholders with the process of adaptive reuse, the creation of manuals, and the
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identification of additional suitable business ventures that can be supported in the
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district.
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Sec. 6. Coordination with Nationai Agencies and Local Government Units. -
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The City Government of Manila, in coordination with DOT, TIEZA, and DPWH, shall
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set forth and implement necessary construction and/or improvement of roads and
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other infrastructure upon promulgation of this Act and incorporate it in its
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infrastructure program. This shall include infrastructure and systems that will
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enhance the overall aesthetic of the district including drainage, sewerage and solid
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waste facilities in accordance with prevailing environmental laws and incentives.
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Sec. 7. Report and Review. - Within the year of the implementation of this
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Act and each fiscal year thereafter, the City Government of Manila shall render an
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annual report to both Houses of Congress. The City Government of Manila shall
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submit a report describing a summary of the following:
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a. Status of the Quiapo National Heritage Zone under this Act
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b. Accomplishments of the Quiapo Heritage Zone Development Plan
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established through this Act
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c. Types and volume of assistance and services provided to stakeholders
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within the Quiapo National Heritage Zone
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d. Environmental baselines, targets, and enhancements


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Sec. 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. - The Local Government of the
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City of Manila, DOT, NCCA, NHCP, TIEZA, and DPWH, in consultation with
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stakeholders, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations for the proper
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implementation of this Act within ninety (90) days from its effectivity.
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The City Council of the City Government of Manila shall pass a city ordinance
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to appropriately operationalize the management of the Quiapo National Heritage
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Zone, including all parts of the heritage site, national cultural treasures, important
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cultural property, and archaeological and anthropological sites designated as intrinsic
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thereto, in accordance with the development plan, and in line with the objectives
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and provisions of Republic Act No. 10066 and this Act. The ordinance shall likewise
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include the metes and bounds of the Heritage Zone established pursuant to this Act.
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Sec. 9. Appropriations. - The amount necessary for the protection,
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preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, conservation, maintenance, and promotion
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of the cultural and historical integrity of the Quiapo Heritage Zone shall receive
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priority development attention, assistance, and funding from the DOT, the NCCA,
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and from the DPWH, subject to existing appropriate government rules and
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regulations.
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Sec. 10. Separability Clause. - If any part, section, or provision of this Act
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shall be declared unconstitutional or invalid by a competent court, the remaining
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provisions thereby shall remain valid and in full force and effect.
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Sec. 11. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders, issuances,
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rules and regulations, or parts thereof not consistent with the provisions of this Act
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are hereby repealed, modified, suspended, or amended accordingly.
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Sec. 12. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
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publication in the Official Gazette or in two (2) national newspapers of general
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circulation, whichever comes earlier.
Approved,