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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
 
) 
 
SENATE 
S.B. No. _______ 
 
 
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS 
 
 
AN ACT DECLARING THE CITY OF CARCAR IN THE 
PROVINCE OF CEBU A CULTURAL HERITAGE ZONE 
 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
 
Section 15 of Article XIV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that “Arts 
and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State. The State shall conserve, promote, 
and popularize the nation's historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as 
artistic creations.” 
Section 16 of the same article further provides that “All the country's artistic and 
historic wealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be under the 
protection of the State which may regulate its disposition.” 
According to a news item by The Manila Times, there are several heritage places 
in the Philippines like Taal in Batangas and Silay in Negros Occidental, but not one is 
as colorful and as ostentatious as Carcar in Cebu. The City of Carcar was created by 
virtue of Republic Act No. 9436, “An Act Converting the Municipality of Carcar in the 
Province of Cebu into a Component City to be known as the City of Carcar” effective 
April 12, 2007 and was classified as a 4th class City. 
While it became a city only in 2007, the culture of Carcar dates back even before 
the Spaniards came at the end of 16th century. Carcar, then, was a seaside settlement 
known as Sialo. Sialo became a town only in 1599 changing its name to Valladolid. 
The growth of the community put the town in a position as a prime target for Moro 
marauders. This pushed the natives to move it to a higher ground, which is now its 
present location. The town then became known as Kabkab after the local fern called 
kabkaban which grew abundantly in the area. A priest later changed the name to 
Carcar, after a town in Navarro, Northern Spain. 
The rich cultural heritage of Carcar is one of its driving force to enrich its tourism 
potential. Soon Carcar became known as the Heritage City of Cebu because of the 
beautiful structures inspired by the architectural designs of the Spanish era and 
American period. Among the structures comprising the city’s rich cultural heritage is 
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the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Carcar Puericulture Center and 
Dispensary built from 1929 to 1937, the old Upland Elementary School built in 1905, 
and the Carcar Rotonda. There are also heritage houses in the city including the house 
of Mayor Mariano Mercado built in 1906, the Yap House built in 1905 and the Silva 
House built in 1883 to 1898. The oldest structure known in Carcar is the house of 
Florencio Noel which is famously called as the Balay na Tisa. Built in 1859, Balay na 
Tisa was declared a Heritage House by the National Historical Institute on 4 September 
2009. 
These structures built by our ancestors and the history embedded in them are 
proofs not just of memories but of an irrefutable connection to the past. Protecting 
our cultural heritage vis-à-vis means protecting our sense of who we are because our 
culture shows our beliefs, customs, traditions, and even our social values. It gives us 
our identity which makes us unique from the rest of the world but at the same time 
reminds every Filipinos of our bond and unity. Hence, it is but felicitous to protect and 
shield our valuable heritage to enrich the culture of the future generations. 
This bill therefore seeks to preserve the vintage houses, church, school, and other 
structures in the City of Carcar in the 1st district of Cebu by declaring the City of Carcar 
in the Province of Cebu as a cultural heritage zone. 
In view of the foregoing, the expeditious passage of this bill is earnestly sought. 
 
 
IMEE R. MARCOS  
 
 
 


 
 
 
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EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE ) 
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) 
Second Regular Session 
 
) 
 
SENATE 
S.B. No.   _______ 
 
 
Introduced by SENATOR IMEE R. MARCOS 
 
 
AN ACT DECLARING THE CITY OF CARCAR IN THE 
PROVINCE OF CEBU A CULTURAL HERITAGE ZONE 
 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress 
assembled: 
SECTION 1. This Act shall be known as the “Carcar City Cultural Heritage Zone 
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Act”. 
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SEC. 2. The Constitution mandates the State to conserve, develop, promote, and 
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popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as its 
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artistic creations. It further provides that all the country’s artistic and histone wealth 
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constitute the cultural treasure of the nation and shall be protected by the State, which 
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may regulate its disposition. 
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Towards this end, the promotion and preservation of the cultural and historical 
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landmarks that highlight the uniqueness and beauty of Carcar City, including all 
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century-old architecturally significant and historic houses thereat, shall be pursued in 
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the development and management of its tourism industry, cultural heritage and 
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resources. 
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SEC. 3. The City of Carcar in the Province of Cebu is hereby declared a cultural 
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heritage zone. As such, it shall be accorded priority development by the Department 
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of Tourism (DOT), in coordination with the City Government of Carcar and other 
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concerned agencies of the government, and shall be subject to the rules and 
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regulations governing the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage zones. 
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As used in this Act, cultural heritage zone refers to historical, anthropological, 
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archaeological, artistic geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant 
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to the country. 
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SEC. 4. The DOT, in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and 
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the Arts (NCCA), Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), 
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National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), National Museum of the 
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Philippines (NMP), Provincial Government of Cebu, and the City Government of Carcar, 
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shall immediately prepare the development plan involving the preservation, 
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conservation, restoration, and maintenance of cultural and historical sites and 
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structures for the enhancement of tourism in Carcar City: Provided, That the NCCA 
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shall approve only those methods and materials that strictly adhere to the accepted 
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international standards of conservation in undertaking conservation and restoration 
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works, as provided for in Section 15 of Republic Act No. 10066, otherwise known as 
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the “National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.” 
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SEC. 5. Within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Act, the DOT, in 
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coordination with the NCCA, TIEZA, NHCP, NMP, Provincial Government of Cebu, and 
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the City Government of Carcar, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations 
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for the effective implementation of this Act. 
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SEC. 6. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the 
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Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulations. 
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Approved,