Thursday, September 28, 2023

Salient Features of RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009

Republic Act No. 10066 - An Act Providing for the Protection and Conservation of the National Cultural Heritage, Strengthening the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and its Affiliated Cultural Agencies and for Other Purposes

                        Photo: https://elibrary.bmb.gov.ph/elibrary/books/national-cultural-heritage-act-of-2009-republic-act-no-10066/

 

Salient Features


SEC. 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

(a) “Adaptive reuse” shall refer to the utilization of buildings, other built-structures and sites of value for purposes other than that for which they were intended originally, in order to conserve the site, their engineering integrity and authenticity of design.

(b) “Anthropological area” shall refer to any place where studies of specific ethno-linguistic groups are undertaken, the properties of which are of value to our cultural heritage.

(c) “Antique” shall refer to a cultural property found locally which is one hundred (100) years in age, more or less, the production of which has ceased.

(d) “Archaeological area” shall refer to any place, whether above or under ground, underwater or at sea level, containing fossils, artifacts and other cultural, geological, botanical, zoological materials which depict and document culturally relevant paleontological, prehistoric and/or historic events.

(e) “Archives” shall refer to public and private records in any format which have been selected for permanent preservation because of their evidential, historical informational value; otherwise known as archival materials collections or archival holdings; the place (building/room/storage area) where archival materials are kept and preserved; and an organization or agency or part thereof whose main responsibility is to appraise, arrange, describe, conserve, promote and make archival materials available for reference and research, also known as archival agency.

(f) “Built heritage” shall refer to architectural and engineering structures such as, but not limited to, bridges, government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, quartels, train stations, lighthouses, small ports, educational, technological and industrial complexes, and their settings, and landscapes with notable historical and cultural significance.

(g) “Collector” shall refer to any person who or institution that acquires cultural property for purposes other than sale.

(h) “Commission” shall refer to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

(i) “Conservation” shall refer 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.

(j) “Cultural agencies” shall refer to the following national government agencies with their specific areas of responsibility: National Museum (cultural property); the National Library (books); National Historical Institute (Philippine history); National Archives (documents); Cultural Center of the Philippines (culture and the arts); and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (language).

(k) “Cultural education” shall refer to the teaching and learning of cultural concepts and processes.

(l) “Cultural heritage” shall refer to the totality of cultural property preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity.

(m) “Cultural heritage worker” shall refer to an individual undertaking cultural heritage work.

(n) “Cultural institution” shall refer to entities engaged primarily in cultural work.

(o) “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) “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) “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) “History” shall refer to a written record of past events relating to Philippine history.

(s) “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) “Historical monuments” shall refer to structures that honor illustrious persons or commemorate events of historical value as declared by the National Historical Institute.

(u) “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) “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) “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) “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) “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) “Library” shall refer to an institution where the collection of books, manuscripts, computerized information and other materials are organized to provide physical, bibliographic and/or intellectual access to the public, with a librarian that is trained to provide services and programs related to the information needs of its clientele.

(aa) “Museum” shall refer to a permanent institution that researches, acquires, conserves, communicates and exhibits the material evidence of humans and their environment for purposes of education or leisure.

(bb) “National cultural treasure” shall refer to a unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country and nation, and officially declared as such by pertinent cultural agency.

(cc) “Nationally significant” shall refer to historical, aesthetic, scientific, technical, social and/or spiritual values that unify the nation by a deep sense of pride in their various yet common identities, cultural heritage and national patrimony.

(dd) “Natural property of cultural significance” shall refer to areas possessing outstanding ecosystem with flora and fauna of national scientific importance under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.

(ee) “NCCA Portal Cultural Databank” refers to the specific domain in the Commission’s intranet for cultural information that is accessed only internally with control and confidentiality. It includes the registry of national cultural property.

(ff) “Prehistory” shall refer to the period of human history before the introduction of the forms of writing.

(gg) “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.

(hh) “Restoration” shall refer to the action taken or the technical intervention to correct deterioration and alterations.

(ii) “Tangible cultural property” shall refer to a cultural property with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological, artistic and architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional production, whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history specimens with significant value.

     Sec. 5. Cultural Property Considered Important Cultural Property. - For purposes of protecting a cultural property against exportation, modification or demolition, the following works shall be considered important cultural property, unless declared otherwise by the pertinent cultural agency:

 

     Unless declared by the Commission,

 

     (a) Works by a Manlilikha ng Bayan;

 

     (b) Works by a National Artist;

 

     Unless declared by the National Museum,

 

     (c) Archaeological and traditional ethnographic materials;

 

     Unless declared by the National Historical Institute,

 

     (d) Works of national heroes;

 

     (e) Marked structure;

 

     (f) Structures dating at least fifty (50) years old; and

 

     Unless declared by the National Archives,

 

     (g) Archival material/document dating at least (50) years old.

 

     The property owner may petition the appropriate cultural agency to remove the presumption of important cultural property which shall not be unreasonably withheld.

 

     Sec. 7. Privileges for Cultural Property. - All cultural properties declared as national cultural treasures and national historical landmarks, sites or monuments shall be entitled to the following privileges.

 

     (a) Priority government funding for protection, conservation and restoration;

 

     (b) Incentive for private support of conservation and restoration through Commission's Conservation Incentive Program for national cultural treasures;

 

     (c) An official heritage marker placed by the cultural agency concerned indicating that the immovable cultural property has been identified as national cultural treasures and/or national historical landmarks, sites or monuments; and

 

     (d) In times of armed conflict, natural disasters and other exceptional events that endanger the cultural heritage of the country, all national cultural treasures or national historical landmarks, sites or monuments shall be given priority protection by the government.

 

     All cultural properties declared as important cultural property may also receive government funding for its protection, conservation and restoration. An official heritage marker shall likewise be placed on an immovable cultural property to identify the same as important cultural property.

 

     Sec. 12. Designation of Heritage Zones. - The National Historical Institute and the National Museum, in consultation with the Commission and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board or other concerned agencies, shall designate heritage zones to protect the historical and cultural integrity of a geographical area.

 

     Sec. 13. Maintenance of Heritage Zones. - A heritage zone shall be maintained by the local government unit concerned, in accordance with the following guidelines:

 

     (a) Implementation of adaptive reuse of cultural property;

 

     (b) Appearance of streets, parks, monuments, buildings, and natural bodies of water, canals, paths and barangays within a locality shall be maintained as close to their appearance at the time the area was of most importance to Philippine history as determined by the National Historical Institute; and

 

     (c) Local government units shall document and sustain all sociocultural practices such as, but not limited to, traditional celebrations, historical battles, recreation of customs, and the reenactment of battles and other local customs that are unique to the locality.

 

     Sec. 22. Renaming of Historical Streets, Buildings Designated as Cultural Treasure or Important Cultural Property. - The names of historical streets, parks, buildings, shrines, landmarks, monuments and sites designated as national cultural treasures or important cultural property shall not be allowed to be renamed by local or national legislation, unless approved by the National Historical Institute, and only after due hearing on the matter. Furthermore, for changes of names done to historical streets, parks, buildings, shrines, landmarks, monuments, and sites prior to the effectivity of this Act, the National Historical Institute may direct the local government units to restore their original names, also after due hearing.

 

     Sec. 35. Tax Exemptions on Donations. - All donations in any form to the Commission and its affiliated cultural agencies shall be exmpt from donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deduction from the gross income in the computation of the income tax of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended.

 

     Sec. 38. Incorporation of National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Property in the Basic Education System. - Within one (1) year from the effectivity of this Act, the Department of Education, in coordination with the Commission's Philippine Cultural Education Program, shall formulate the cultural heritage education programs both for local and overseas Filipinos to be incorporated into the formal, alternative and informal education, with emphasis on the protection, conservation and preservation of cultural heritage property.

 

     The Philippine Registry of Cultural Heritage Property shall likewise be incorporated into the formal, alternative and informal education by the provincial and local governments.

 

     Sec. 42. Creation of Sentro Rizal. - There is hereby created and established a Sentro Rizal whose main purpose is the promotion of Philippine arts, culture and language throughout the world.

 

     Sec. 43. Overseas Branches or Offices of Sentro Rizal. - Sentro Rizal shall have branches or offices in countries where there are children of overseas Filipino workers who need to be educated about their roots, as well as developed countries where there are large Filipino communities.

 

     Sec. 45. Services Offered. - The Sentro Rizal shall offer Filipino language courses for children and adults, as well as exhibits, small concerts, poetry reading, Philippine cuisine lessons in all Sentro Rizal branches.

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