Nomination 1999

8/6/2019 Nomination 1999

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WHC Nomination Documentation

File Name: 502rev.pdf UNESCO Region: ASIA AND THE PACIFIC__________________________________________________________________________________________________

SITE NAME: The Historic town of Vigan

DATE OF INSCRIPTION: 4th December 1999

STATE PARTY: PHILIPPINES

CRITERIA: C(ii) (iv)

DECISION OF THE WORLD HERITAGE COMMITTEE:Excerpt from the Report of the 23rd Session of the World Heritage Committee

The Committee inscribed the property on the World Heritage List on the basis of criteria (ii) and (iv):

Criterion (ii): Vigan represents a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonialarchitecture and planning.

Criterion (iv): Vigan is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and South-East Asia.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS

Vigan, established in the 16th century, is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Itsarchitecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines and from China with those


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The Historic Town of Vigan, page 2

List of Maps:

Map 1: National map locating Ilocos Sur andVigan

Map 2: Province of Ilocos Sur

Map 3: Province of Ilocos Sur, Hierarchy ofUrban Centers

Map 4: Municipality of Vigan, Land Use Mapshowing Historic Center

Map 5: Municipality of Vigan, showing theBoundaries of Core Zone and Buffer Zone

Map 6: Census of Buildings

f) Area of Property Proposed for InscriptionPlease refer to Map 5 that shows the boundaries ofthe Core Zone and Buffer Zone of Vigan.


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commerce through demonstrating anarchitecture that fuses Ilocano, Filipino,Chinese, and Spanish influences. Vigan alsoexhibits architecture from the Americancolonial period in the early 20th century thatfuses the Filipino with the American.

The ensemble expresses the adaptation of thediverse cultural influences into a homogeneousurban landscape, and into an architecturalstyle that is uniquely Filipino.

It is the most evident and only survivingexample in the Philippines that shows Spanishurban planning of the early 18th century that

conforms to the Ley de las Indias that regulatesthe layout, street patterns, and open spaces ofall new settlements planned during theSpanish empire.

In the Philippines, the Vigan ensemble is onlyremaining and the most extensiveconcentration of civic, religious and traditional


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Her son, Isabelo de los Reyes, founded the Philippinelabor movement.

The Second President of the Philippine Republic,Elpidio Quirino, was born in Vigan where he livedfor a major part of his life. He began his politicalcareer there.

b) Possible Comparative Analysis

Vigan belongs to the 18th and 19th century network ofAsian trading cities whose lifestyle and architectureblend Asian and western culture: Malacca, Penang,Pekalongan, Goa, Macau, Singapore, and Hoi-An

(Vietnam). In contrast to those cities, however, Viganshows a distinctly Filipino approach in adapting tothe current of architectural concepts flowingthroughout Asia in that era.

Hoi-An in Vietnam, an important coastal trading postduring the Asian mercantile area from the 14th 19th

centuries, is similar to Vigan. Both towns have


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inhabited. Much of the original architectural,structural and decorative elements are in place,assuring that the threatened but surviving tissue ofVigan is indeed authentic in design, material,workmanship, and setting.

In the Philippines today, no other town compareswith Vigan for the number of surviving structures

built in the Spanish colonial and American eras thatremain in an urban grid of streets dating from theSpanish colonial era.

A similar urban grid exists in fortified Intramuros ofManila, the former Spanish government center for thePhilippines. However, the original fortifications

(now fully reconstructed) and the authenticarchitecture (a few structures have been recentlyrebuilt) within the walls were destroyed duringWorld War II. Only the Church of San Agustn(World Heritage Site) survived intact.

Ceb, the second most important city during theSpanish era, was likewise destroyed during World


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The Nara Document on Authenticity states: 11. All judgements about values attributed to culturalproperties as well as the credibility of relatedinformation sources may differ from culture toculture [I]t is thus not possible to base judgementsof values and authenticity within fixed criteria ...heritage properties must be considered and judged

within the cultural contexts to which they belong.ICOMOS Expert Dr Jorge Gazaneo2 concurs with thestatement from the Nara Document. During his visitto the Philippines in 1992, he said, In our case thedifficulty in evaluating these buildings properly liesin using the right parameters, which, as alreadystated, cannot be those used for European examples.

Unity and authenticity are difficult to be expected inthis part of the world, a violent frontier knowing theravages of war, heavy typhoons, and repeated,violent earthquake destruction.

Gazaneo further states, No [Philippine] monumentis a complete example of one art period, but a livingdocument of how time and context have left traces on


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d) Criteria Under Which Inscription is ProposedCriterion (ii): exhibit an important interchange of humanvalues, over a span of time or within a cultural area of theworld, on developments in architecture or technology,monumental arts or town-planning and landscape design.Vigan, part of the 18th and 19th century network of

Asian trading cities, demonstrates a uniquearchitecture that effortlessly fuses Ilocano, Filipino,Chinese, and Spanish influences. It alsodemonstrates, in a tropical, Asian setting rather thanin the New World, the typical Spanish colonial urbanlayout as specified by the Ley de las Indias, thuslinking Vigan to another network of colonial cities in

Latin America.Criterion (iii): bear a unique or at least exceptionaltestimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization whichis living or which has disappeared. Vigan is testimonyto the Filipino cultural traditions and lifestyle of the18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. Its domestic


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stone walls and the upper level is constructed entirelyout of wood. A variant to the style exists in Viganwhere both stories of some houses are built entirely ofstone or brick.Criterion (v): be an outstanding example of a traditionalhuman settlement or land-use which is representative of a

culture (or cultures) especially when it has becomevulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.Vigan is well known in the Philippines as the lasturban area that has maintained its architecture andurban planing that was established during theSpanish colonial era. Modernization and progress arepressuring the transformation of many structures inthe historic Core Zone as well as the Buffer Zone.However, Vigan is determined to maintain itsauthenticity.

3. DESCRIPTIONa) Description of Property:


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Mestizo River bounds it on the east. The Govantesand Bantay Rivers define the northern boundary.

Its population in 1986 was 35,994. In 1995, the totalrevenue of the municipality was approximatelyP32,500,000 with a population of 41,540. In 1997 themunicipal revenue rose to P52,000,000.

Agriculture is the primary industry of Vigan, directlysupporting 994 households. The Vigan public marketis a major trading center, where most of the producefrom the neighboring municipalities of Caoayan,Bantay, San Vicente, and Santa Catalina is sold.

Vigan is a regional educational center. Its morenotable institutions are St Paul's College of Vigan

(formerly the Escuela de Nias opened in 1892). TheColegio de la Inmaculada Concepcin was foundedin 1925 by the Society of the Divine World. Later theschool expanded into the Divine Word College. TheUniversity of Northern Philippines is also in Vigan.

In response to the shortage of priests in the Ilocosregion, the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia


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The historical Core Zone4 protects the Mestizo Districtand includes Plazas Salcedo and Burgos at thenorthern boundary of the town. It is protected by aBuffer Zone around it. It is noteworthy to mentionthat the boundaries run at the center of the blocks,following the rear walls of the properties rather thanat the center of the streets. This method insures the

maintenance of the integrity of the streetscape.5

Approximately 187 historic houses will be within thenew Core and Buffer Zone boundaries.

No inventory of houses was taken for the 1987Nomination. In 1996, the Toyota Foundationfinanced an inventory of 120 houses.6

Vigan is laid out in the traditional Spanish urbangrid. A checkerboard of streets opens to a centralplaza where the seats of government and religion arelocated at opposite ends of the main plaza.

However, in Vigan a variation on the traditionalHispanic Plaza occurs. The two plazas join: the largerof the two, Plaza Salcedo forms an L-shaped space


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lime, that were once gathered from its immediatesurroundings, bonding the structures to thelandscape around them. Reinforcing the bondfurther, the triangular faade of the Cathedral and thesteeply pitched terra cotta roofs echo the powerfulforms of the distant Cordillera Mountains that arevisible from almost all points of the town.

The architecture of the typical Vigan house is derivedfrom the traditional Filipino dwelling, the bahay kubo,is a small one-room hut built of light, wovenmaterials (wood, bamboo, and thatch), raised off theground on stilts for ventilation and for protectionfrom seasonal monsoon floods. The spaceunderneath the dwelling was left open.

The much larger bahay na bato (stone house) as seen inVigan is an outgrowth of the bahay kubo. The bahay nabato is of two stories, solidly enclosed with stonewalls on the ground level for protection. Its secondlevel is constructed completely out wood. Its terracotta tile roof is steeply pitched, reminiscent ofChinese roofs.7


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The houses in Vigan, all in the bahay na bato style,have similar proportions (height, massing, and roofshape), share related architectural detailing, and arebuilt of the same materials (terra cotta, wood, andbrick covered in lime plaster). Sited at the edges oftheir properties, a solid wall of houses covered bysteeply pitched roofs frame the narrow streets.

With houses built with the same materials, in asimilar style, and within a definite time framebetween the 18th and 19th centuries, the streetscape inVigan presents an outstanding visual and stylistichomogeneity.

The urban ensemble of Vigan tells the history of thetown. It shows that it was once the political,economic, religious, and artistic center of the region.It has lost its political and economic influence butcontinues to exert a strong cultural influence to therest of the nation.

Most importantly, the architecture of Vigan relatesthe story of the Filipino. His constant exposure to


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The following is a listing of the significant publicstructures built from the Spanish and Americancolonial periods that are mostly in the vicinity of theVigan plaza:

Saint Pauls Cathedral, 1790-1800: A goodexample of Christian architecture fused withFilipino and Chinese design elements. Its

pagoda-like belltower is built a distance awayfrom the low, triangular faade for earthquakeprotection.

The Arzobispado, 1783: Flanking one side ofthe large Plaza Salcedo, it is long, low,structure, capped with an enormous, high-

pitched roof. It is an excellent example of apriests residence in an urban area thatcombines parish offices in the ground floorand spacious living quarters on the upperlevel.

Saint Pauls College (formerly the Escuela deNias), 1892: Standing next to the


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an Annex provides not only an excellent descriptionbut also communicates the spatial feel of thearchitecture and urban planning of Vigan.

b) History and Development

In 1572, the Spanish Conquistador Juan de Salcedo

founded "Villa Fernandina." Located on an island inthe Abra River delta, it is along the coastal plain ofthe China Sea close to the northeastern tip of LuzonIsland.

Upon his appointment as the Lieutenant Governor orEncomendero of the entire Ilocos Region, Salcedo madeVigan his capital, the center of political and economicpower in the region.

In 1758, the seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segoviatransferred to Vigan, making it the regional center ofreligious activity. In 1778, its expansion into a city,Vigan was re-named "Ciudad Fernandina."

Established as a trading center rather than as a


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Originally, Vigan was a triangular shaped islandseparated by rivers from the mainland, reached by acauseway crossing the Govantes River fromneighboring Bantay town on the Ilocos Sur mainland.The rivers have silted over. It is no longer an islandtoday.

As the major trading center of the region, produce

from the region was traded with goods broughtdirectly to Vigan from China. Participating in theManila-Acapulco galleon trade that lasted throughoutthe entire Spanish colonial era, it supplied some ofthe goods shipped across the Pacific to Mexico thatwere transshipped across the Atlantic to Spain and tothe rest of Europe. Thick hand-woven cotton textile

from Vigan was prized and acknowledged by sailorsas the most durable sails available for the galleons.

Because of Vigan's trade links with China from pre-Hispanic times, there was a constant exchange ofpeople and foreign influences between the Ilocanos,Filipinos, Chinese, Spanish, and in the early 20th

century, the Americans.


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Historically, the Chinese presence has always beenstrong. China is an easy sail from the Ilocos coast.Trading with China before the Hispanic era, a greatnumber of Chinese settled in Vigan, influencing thelocal lifestyle greatly.

Despite the obvious Latin-Christian overlay to thelocal culture, the patterns of daily life, business

practices, and architecture all reflect the dominantChinese influence12 that reinforces the values offrugality, hard work, and entrepreneurship.

Following Chinese lifestyle traditions, Viganentrepreneurs conducted their businesses from theground floor of their homes, where an office and,when necessary, a warehouse was found. The familyquarters were above the working area. All of thehouses in the Mestizo District are designed in thismanner, comparable to the shophouses that survivein other Asian cities like Penang, Pekalongan,Singapore, and older sections of Bangkok.

No written documentation exists to provide specific


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The owners of many of the surviving houses havemigrated to other urban areas, leaving caretakers towatch their homes or have leased portions of theirstructures for professional or business purposes.

c) Form and Date of Most Recent Records of Property

A summary of records of the property is as follows:The 1991 World Heritage Nomination13 documentscontain an inventory of a few sections of Vigan.The 1995 Conservation Plan for the Historical Centerof Vigan14 includes a survey and analysis maps of thesite.In 1996, Archt. Fatima Rabang Alonso completed theInventory of 120 Vigan Ancestral Houses.

d) Present State of ConservationAs background information, the 1991 World Heritage


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a) Ownership

The ownership of the collection of buildings andopen spaces in the Historic Center of Vigan and itsBuffer Zone is mixed.

The major public buildings in Vigan are owned bythe Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur, theMunicipal Government of Vigan and the RomanCatholic Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia (Vigan).

All of the houses in the historic Core and BufferZones of Vigan are privately owned.

b) Legal Status

Vigan is protected by the following existingprotective, legal, and administrative measures:

National:

Republic Act 484615 (1966) Presidential Decree


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Shrines, Monuments, Landmarks and OtherImportant Edifices"

Proposed National Legislation: NationalCultural Act (Proposed by the NationalCommission for Culture and the Arts [NCCA],1996): "An Act Providing for the Protectionand Preservation of Philippine Cultural

Heritage and for Other Purposes"

Executive Order 35819, (1996): "Creating aPresidential Commission for the Restoration,Conservation, and Preservation of ViganHeritage Village"

Municipal:

Since the referral of the 1987 World HeritageNomination Dossier for Vigan back to the Philippineauthorities, additional Municipal legislation has beenenacted. The recent legislation addressespreservation issues in a more specific manner thanthe pre-1987 legislation.


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Municipality of Vigan, Office of theSangguniang Bayan, Ordinance No. 12, Seriesof 199721: "An Ordinance defining the Coreand Buffer Zones of the Historic Town ofVigan and the Historical, Cultural,Educational, Aesthetic, and EconomicParameters of its Preservation and

Development" Municipality of Vigan, Office of the

Sangguniang Bayan, Ordinance No. 14, Seriesof 199722: "An Ordinance providing theGuidelines in the Conservation of the HistoricTown of Vigan"

Proposed Ordinance: Municipality of Vigan,Office of the Sangguniang Bayan, OrdinanceNo. ___, Series of 19__: "An OrdinanceCreating the Conservation Authority ofVigan,23" a Draft Ordinance that proposes thecreation of a Conservation Authority forVigan, to establish a team of professionalsqualified to oversee, manage, and monitor the


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Although national legislation to protect Vigan exists,the legislation that most directly affects the HistoricTown of Vigan is the Municipal Ordinance No. 12and No. 14 that are directly implemented by theMunicipality of Vigan.

d) Agency/Agencies with Management AuthorityThe Vigan Heritage Commission is the agency thatwill coordinate with the Municipality of Vigan for themanagement of the site. The Commission has linkswith the Department of Tourism, the NationalHistorical Institute, the National Museum, theIntramuros Administration, the National Commissionfor Culture and the Arts, and the NGOs involved inthe conservation of Vigan. The ImplementingGuidelines for the Commission outline their tasks andresponsibilities.

The maintenance of church property (immovable andmoveable) is administered through the Archdiocesan


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The authority in charge is:

Mayor Eva Marie Singson MedinaMunicipality of ViganMunicipal Hall, Vigan

The Vigan Heritage Commission that is still in theprocess of organization has been mandated to overseethe conservation efforts for Vigan.The authority in charge is:

Atty Carlitos Encarnacin, Executive DirectorLeona Florentino HouseVigan, Ilocos Sur

f) Agreed plans related to property:

National Tourism Master Plan for the Philippines24

Tourism Development Master Plan for Region I


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Vigan Heritage Commission: Implementing Rulesand Regulations; Action Plan29

Consultations with Vigan stakeholders were heldthrough the 4 workshops of the Avante Vigan:Second International Conference on the Conservationand Development of Vigan Conference Series: Industries in a Historic Town30, 1 March 1997 Livelihood Openings in an Ancient Town31, 8

March 1997

Informing the Public about VigansAttractions32, 9 March 1997

Formulating Policies and Ordinances related tothe Development and Preservation of HistoricVigan33, 4-5 May 1997

Among the various plans listed above, theAvante Vigan Conference is reflective of thesentiments of the community since theresolutions adopted during the conferencewere done in consultation with the variouscommunity stakeholders under the guidance


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The Vigan Heritage Commission will be funded bythe national government for its operational expensesand to implement its projects.As the awareness to preserve Vigan increases,donations are received for specific projects.Congressman Eric Singson of the 2nd District of IlocosSur has allocated P5,000,000 from his CountrysideDevelopment Fund for restoration works to be donein the historic center of Vigan. The Municipality ofVigan and the National Historical Institute willimplement the project.

h) Sources of expertise and training in conservation andmanagement techniques

Professional expertise, difficult to find in thePhilippines, is not available in Vigan. However, thesituation is expected to improve in the future sincemanagement and staff training is continually beingcarried out through attendance in national andinternational seminars and workshops.


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Vigan has been selected as one of the five pilot sitesfor the Unesco Program Integrated CommunityDevelopment and Cultural Heritage Preservation inAsia and the Pacific through Local Effort (LEAP).

i) Visitor Facilities and Statistics

Information Center: An information center iscentrally located at the Leona Florentino Housetogether with the offices of the Vigan HeritageCommission.Interpretation: The Department of Tourism regularlypublishes information brochures on Vigan. TheVigan Tourism Council has produced a tourism

brochure and a map of the historic sties of the town.More interpretive material is planned.Museums: The three museums in Vigan are theBurgos House (National Museum), the Museo NuevaSegovia (Roman Catholic Archbishops Museum),and the Crisologo Museum. The SyQuia Mansion,


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visitors to Vigan are unregistered. A system ofregistration is currently being studied.

j) Property Management Plan and Statement of Objectives

It is hoped that the Comprehensive Conservationand Development Plan of Vigan to be produced bythe Agencia Espaola de Cooperacin Internacionalwill address the issues of a sustainable propertymanagement plan with objectives that are inconsonance with the wishes of the Vigan stakeholdersand community.

k) Staffing Levels

It is expected that when it becomes operational, theVigan Heritage Commission will have a strong staffcomplement of managers and technical specialists tocarry out the different aspects of the conservationprogram for Vigan.

5. FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROPERTY


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However, the present state of economic instability inthe Asian Region will temporarily suspend thedevelopment pressures to the historic Core andBuffer Zones in Vigan. It is expected that when theeconomy reverses its direction once again, the properlegislation will be in place to protect the structures.

b) Environmental Pressures

Inside the Core Zone and Buffer Zones, the greatestthreat is the pollution caused by unchecked smokeemission, noise, and vibration caused by the largenumber of motorized passenger tricycles thatcontinually cruise the streets of the town.

c) Natural Disasters and Preparedness

The natural threats have traditionally remained thesame from the early days of Vigan: typhoons,earthquake, and fire.

The Municipality maintains three fire trucks. The


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Nomination Dossier for Vigan (1987), the ICOMOSReport on the Philippines (1989) by Alvaro GmezFerrer, and the ICOMOS Survey Mission to thePhilippines (1992) by Jorge Gazaneo.Administrative Arrangements for MonitoringProperty: The proposed local conservation authorityshall perform the actual monitoring of the site. Untilits formation, the Office of the Mayor shall conductmonitoring. Informal monitoring is being conductedby SVAHAI.

Results of Previous Reporting Exercises: The resultsof previous reporting are best seen in comparison tothe Conservation Plan for the Historic Center of

Vigan, prepared by Tourconsult/International(1996), that serves as the latest indicator of the statusof Vigan.

7. DOCUMENTATION

Photographs, Slides, Film/Video: See Index


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Blair, Emma H., and Alexander JamesRobertson, eds. The Philippine Islands 1493-1898, Introduced by Edward Gaylord.Cleveland: A. H. Clark Co., 1903-1909, 55 vols.Reprinted 1962

Braganza, Jos V., SVD. "Vigan, A Stab in theHeart The Ilocos Review, Vol. 2, No. 2, June-

December 1970. Divine Word College ofVigan, Vigan Ilocos Sur: 1970

Braganza, Jos V., SVD. "To the End of theWorld" The Ilocos Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 1 and 2,

January-December 1970. Vigan, Ilocos Sur:1970

Brillantes, P. R. "Ilocos Sur ArchaeologicalExcavation" The Ilocos Review, vol. 1; 1969

Burgos, Jose J. "Ilocos Sur," Ilocos Sur HighSchool Memorabilia, 1965

The Colonization and Conquest of the Philippinesby Spain. Manila: Filipiniana Book Guild, 1965


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Foronda, Marcelino A. Jr., and Juan A.Foronda. Samtoy: Essays in Iloko History andCulture. Manila: United Publishing Co., Inc.,1972

Gazaneo, Jorge, "Report: ICOMOS Mission tothe Baroque Churches of the Philippines", 1992

Gmez-Ferrer, Alvaro, ICOMOS Report onthe Philippines, 1989

Gracia, Manuel, CM. "El Seminario de Vigan yLos Padres Pales, 1872-1876"; BoletnEclesiastico, Ao X, 1932

Hila, Corazn C. An Essay on Philippine EthnicArchitecture. Manila: Sentrong Pangkultura ng

Pilipinas, 1992

Jos, Regalado Trota. Simbahan, Church Art inColonial Philippines 1563-1898. Makati: AyalaMuseum

Lacsamana, Alberto. "Churches in Ilokandia(Ilokos Sur and La Union)," Ilocos Review, Vol.


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National Committee on Monuments and Sites.Anna Mara L Harper, Felix Imperial,Reynaldo Inovero, Regalado Trota Jos, RenLus Mata, Martin I Tinio Jr., Rodrigo Prez III,Augusto F Villalon, eds. Questions and

Answers. Manila: Presidential Commission onCulture and the Arts, 1990

National Museum [of the Philippines],"Nomination of Vigan by the Republic of thePhilippines for inclusion in the World HeritageList", 1987

Philippine Airlines, Mabuhay Presents thePhilippines. Singapore: Toppan Printing Co.,1984

Quirino, Carlos. Filipinos at War: The Fight forFreedom from Mactan to Bessang Pass. Vera-Reyes, Inc., Manila, 1981

Ramirez, Pablo B. "Ilocos Sur, the Heart ofIlocandia," PSIAA '72 Souvenir Program, 1972


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Segovia in the Eighteenth Century," The IlocosReview; Vol. 15, 1983

"Scenic and Historic Ilocos Sur in Pictures,"PSIAA Meet '72 Souvenir Program. PublicSchool Interscholastic Athletic Association. 11-17 April 1972

Scharpf, Frederick, SVD. "Ilocos Sur in 1870 (A

Spanish Government Report)" in The IlocosReview, Vigan, ICST, 1986

Scott, William Henry. Cracks in the ParchmentCurtain. New Day Publishers. Quezon City:1985

Smith, Winfield Scott III, ed. The Art of the

Philippines. Manila: The Art Association of thePhilippines. 1958

Tourconsult/International, "Final Report:Conservation Plan for the Historical Center ofVigan", 1995

Tourconsult/International, "Primer for the


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a) Address where Inventory, Records, and Archives are held:

Mayor Eva Marie Singson MedinaOffice of the MayorVigan Municipal HallVigan, Ilocos SurSecretary Domingo L. Siazon Jr.Secretary of Foreign AffairsChairman, Unesco National Commission of the

PhilippinesDepartment of Foreign AffairsRoxas Boulevard, Pasay City

8. SIGNATURE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE PARTY

___________________________


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THE HISTORIC TOWN OF VIGAN

Philippines

List of Annexes1. Favis, Ricardo L., Situationer on Local Industries for the Avante Vigan

Conference, 1997

2. Castillo, Nicolo del, Vigan: An Architectural Walking Tour, 19983. Michelmore, David, Report on a Mission to Vigan, 19974. Vigan Nomination Dossier, 19875. Zilcita, Fernando N., Concept Paper: Second International Conference on

Vigan 1977


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11.Municipal Ordinance 05, Series of 1990: An Ordinance Providing forthe Preservation and Protection of Ancestral Houses and otherCultural Properties Located in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, particularly in theMestizo Section

12.Municipal Ordinance 12, Series of 1997: An Ordinance defining theCore and Buffer Zones of the Historical Town of Vigan and theHistorical, Cultural, Educational, Aesthetic and Economic Parameters

of its Preservation and Development

13.Municipal Ordinance 14, Series of 1997: An Ordinance providing theGuidelines of the Conservation of the Historic Town of Vigan

14.Draft Municipal Ordinance: Creating the Conservation Authority ofVigan

15.Tourism Master Plan for the Philippines, 1991-201016.Tourism Master Development Plan for Region I17.Conservation Plan for the Historic Center of Vigan


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Vigan (Philippines)

Category of property

In terms of the categories of cultural property set out in


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Vigan (Philippines)

No 502rev

Identification

Nomination The Historic Town of Vigan

Location Province of Ilocos Sur

State Party Philippines

Date 30 April 1998

Justification by State Party

Vigan, part of the 18th and 19th century network of Asian

trading cities, demonstrates a unique architecture thateffortlessly fuses Ilocano, Filipino, Chinese, and Spanish

styles. It also demonstrates, in a tropical Asian setting rather

than in the New World, the typical Spanish colonial urban

layout as specified by the Ley de las Indias, thus linking

Vigan to another network of colonial cities in Latin America.

Criterion ii

Vigan is testimony to the Filipino cultural traditions and

lifestyle of the 18th 19th and 20th centuries Its domestic

In terms of the categories of cultural property set out in

Article 1 of the 1972 World Heritage Convention, this is a

group of buildings.

History and Description

History

Before the arrival of the Spanish, there was a small

indigenous settlement on what was at that time an island,

consisting wooden or bamboo houses on stilts. In 1572 the

conquistadorJuan de Salcedo founded a new town, which he

named Villa Ferdinandina, on this site, and made it his

capital when he was appointed Lieutenant Governor

(Encomendero) of the entire Ilocos region. Intended as a

trading centre rather than a fortress, it was the northernmostcity established in the Philippines by the Spanish.

At the end of the 17th century a new form of architecture

evolved, which combined the traditional construction with

the techniques of building in stone and wood introduced by

the Spanish. Brick was introduced by the Augustinian friars

for their churches and other buildings.

The seat of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia was

transferred there in 1758, making it the centre of religious

activity in the region. In 1778, as a result of its expansion, itwas renamed Ciudad Ferdinandina.

The Mestizo river was central to the development of the

town in the 16th-19th centuries: large sea-going vessels

could berth in the delta and small craft communicated with

the interior. However, it is now no longer navigable owing to

silting, as a result of which the town is no longer an island.

As the major commercial centre for the region, Vigan traded

new towns in the Spanish Empire. There is, however, a

noticeable difference between Vigan and contemporary

destruction of original features of all national shrines,

monuments, landmarks, and other important edifices";


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Spanish colonial towns in Latin America in the Historic Core

(known as the Mestizo district), where the Latin tradition is

tempered by strong Chinese, Ilocano, and Filipino

influences. As its name implies, this district was settled by

affluent families of mixed Chinese-Ilocano origin.

The building materials used in Vigan are terra cotta, wood,

shells (kapis), stone, and lime, all obtained from the

surrounding area. The architecture of the typical Vigan house

is derived from the traditional Filipino dwelling, the bahay

kubo, which is a small one-room hut built of light woven

materials (wood, bamboo, and thatch), raised off the ground

on stilts for ventilation and as protection against monsoon

flooding.

Such structures are no longer to be found in Vigan, but their

influence is discernible in the much larger bahay na bato(stone house). This is a much more solid structure, with a

stone-built lower storey surmounted by a timber-framed

upper storey, and with a steeply pitched tiled roof

(reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture). The exterior

walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window panels of

kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better

ventilation. Most of the existing buildings were probably

built in the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Few have escaped

internal reorganization to adapt them for alternative use with

the decline of the town's prosperity.

The Chinese merchants and traders conducted their business

from offices and warehouses on the ground floors of their

houses, with the living quarters above. This is characteristic

of Chinese society, to be observed in other Asian cities such

as Penang, Singapore, and the older sections of Bangkok.

The resulting townscape has a special quality not to be found

elsewhere. It is a unique manifestation of the multi-cultural

Executive Order No 358, 1996 "Creating a PresidentialCommission for the Restoration, Conservation and

Preservation of Vigan Heritage Village."

A new "Act providing for the Protection and Preservation of

Philippine Cultural Heritage ..." is shortly to come into

effect.

At local level, the Ordinance No 05 "Providing for the

preservation and protection of ancestral houses and other

properties in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, particularly in the Mestizo

Section" was promulgated in 1990 by the Municipality of

Vigan. Following the 2nd International Conference on Vigan

in March 1997, the following Municipal Ordinances were

approved by the Sangguniang Bayan (Municipal Council):

Ordinance No 12 "Defining the Core and Buffer Zonesof the Historic Town of Vigan and the historical,

educational, aesthetic, and economic parameters of its

preservation and development";

Ordinance No 14 "Providing the guidelines for theconservation of the Historic Town of Vigan."

The Council is still considering the proposed Ordinance

"Creating the Conservation Authority of Vigan."

Management

Ownership of the buildings and open spaces included in the

nomination is mixed. The public buildings are owned

variously by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Sur, the

Municipal Government of Vigan, and the Roman Catholic

Diocese of Nueva Segovia, and most of these are accessible

to the public. All the houses in the Core and Buffer Zones

are privately owned, but none is open to the public.

Tourism Development Master Plan for Region I, 1992;Vigan, 1995 (Department of Tourism);

town that has developed organically over several centuries

are now being introduced, making use of the considerable

f di i l f h i i h Phili i


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Northwestern Luzon Growth Quadrangle DevelopmentPlan, 1995 (USAid Project);

Investment Promotion Package for the NorthwesternLuzon Growth Quadrangle, 1997 (USAid Project);

Implementing Rules and Regulations: Action Plan, 1996(Vigan Heritage Commission).

The Second International Conference for the Conservation

and Development of Vigan, held in 1997, prepared a number

of draft policies and ordinances for the development and

preservation of the historic town.

Negotiations are in progress at the present time with the

Agencia Espaola de la Cooperacin Internacional for the

preparation of a "Comprehensive Conservation andDevelopment Plan of Vigan."

All funding for conservation projects at the present time

comes from the limited budget of the Municipality of Vigan.

Local non-governmental organizations are studying

mechanisms for fund-raising, and private donations have

been received for specific projects. When it is fully

operational the work of the Vigan Heritage Commission,

which is mandated to coordinate conservation programmes

in the town, will be funded by the national government.

Conservation and Authenticity

Conservation history

The first attempt to sensitize proprietors of historic properties

and administrators in Vigan to the need for adequate

conservation was in 1975, when the National Museum

i d i t hi h th t ' h it d th

reserve of traditional crafts that survives in the Philippines.

Evaluation

Action by ICOMOS

An ICOMOS expert mission visited Vigan in January 1999.

Qualities

Vigan is unique among the towns of the Philippines by

virtue of the fact that it is the only one to preserve much of

its Spanish colonial character intact. It is also significant

because of the way in which distinct architectural traditions -

European, Ilocano, Filipino, and Chinese - have fused to

create a homogeneous townscape of great cultural

importance.

Comparative analysis

Vigan belongs to a group of important South-East Asian

trading cities in which Asian and European elements blend

together, such as Malacca, Macau, Singapore, and Hoi An.

Closest to it is probably Hoi An, where the same pattern of

shop-houses influenced strongly from China can be

observed.

Vigan is, however, unique in that it is the only town in thisgroup in which the rigid Spanish colonial checkerboard

street pattern survives intact. The only surviving parallels in

this respect are to be found in Latin America, but these do

not exhibit the multi-cultural fusion that Vigan demonstrates.

ICOMOS comments and recommendations for future action

The nomination of Vigan to the World Heritage List was

first considered by the Committee at its 13th Session in Paris


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Vigan (Philippines)

zone tampon. Vigan est cependant dtermine

conserver son authenticit. Critre v


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g ( pp )

No 502rev

Identification

Bien propos La ville historique de Vigan

Location Province dIlocos-Sur

Etat Partie Philippines

Date 30 avril 1998

Justification manant de lEtat partie

Vigan, qui faisait partie du rseau des villes

commerantes dAsie aux XVIIIe et XIXe sicles,

prsente une architecture unique qui allie aisment les

styles llocano, philippin, chinois et espagnol. Bien que

construite en Asie tropicale et non dans le Nouveau

Monde, cest une ville de type colonial espagnol qui

rpond aux rgles durbanisme dfinies dans la Ley de

las Indias et qui, par consquent, lie Vigan au rseau

des villes coloniales dAmrique latine. Critre ii

Vigan tmoigne des traditions culturelles philippines et

du mode de vie de ses habitants aux XVIIIe, XIXe, et

XXe sicles. Larchitecture locale, qui prvoit dans une

Catgorie de bien

En termes de catgories de biens, telles quelles sont

dfinies larticle premier de la Convention du

Patrimoine mondial de 1972, le bien propos est unensemble.

Histoire et description

Histoire

Avant larrive des Espagnols, il existait un village

indigne install sur une le, constitu dun groupe de

maisons de bois ou de bambou sur pilotis. En 1572 le

conquistadorJuan de Salcedo fonda sur ce site une villenouvelle, quil baptisa du nom de Villa Ferdinandina. Il

en fit sa capitale lorsquil fut nomm Lieutenant

Gouverneur (Encomendero) de la rgion dIlocos.

Conue comme un comptoir commercial plutt que

comme une forteresse, elle tait ltablissement urbain

le plus septentrional install aux Philippines par les

Espagnols.

A la fin du XVIIe sicle, une nouvelle forme

darchitecture est ne, qui alliait la construction

traditionnelle avec les techniques de construction en

pierre et bois introduites par les Espagnols. Les frres

augustins introduisirent la brique pour leurs glises et

leurs btiments.

Le sige de larchidiocse de la Nueva Segovia fut

transfr Vigan en 1758 qui devint le centre de

lactivit religieuse de la rgion. En 1778, en raison de

son expansion, elle fut rebaptise Ciudad Ferdinandina.

inscription sur la Liste du patrimoine mondial, occupe

une superficie de 17,25ha dlimite en deux endroits par

les cours deau Govantes et Mestizo.

1800), le Palais de larchevch (1783), le collge Saint

Paul (1892), la chapelle du cimetire catholique (1852),

et le Capitole provincial de style noclassique lev au


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les cours d eau Govantes et Mestizo.

Le plan espagnol traditionnel de la ville en damier

comporte une place principale en L, la place Salcedo

dans la partie la plus longue et la place Burgos dans la

plus courte. La premire est domine par la Mairie et le

Capitole provincial et la seconde par la cathdrale.

Le plan de la ville est conforme au modle urbain en

quadrill de la Renaissance dcrit dans la Ley de las

Indias qui sapplique toutes les villes nouvelles de

lempire espagnol. Vigan se distingue cependant des

villes de lempire colonial espagnol implantes en

Amrique latine par son centre historique (que lon

appelle Mestizo), o la tradition latine est tempre par

de fortes influences chinoises, llocanos et philippines.

Comme son nom lindique, dans ce quartiersinstallrent de riches familles mtisses dorigine

chinoise et llocano.

Les matriaux de construction utiliss Vigan sont la

terre cuite, le bois, les coquillages (kapis), la pierre et la

chaux, qui sont des matriaux provenant de la rgion.

Larchitecture typique de la maison de Vigan sinspire

de lhabitation philippine traditionnelle, la bahay kubo,

qui est une petite case dune pice construite en

matriaux lgers tresss (bois, bambous et paille) et

reposant sur pilotis pour la ventilation et la protectioncontre les inondations de la mousson.

On ne trouve plus de ces maisons Vigan, mais leur

influence est discernable dans les maisons de pierre de

plus grandes dimensions que sont les bahay na bato.

Celles-ci possdent une structure beaucoup plus solide,

le niveau infrieur est construit en pierre et il est

surmont dun tage pans de bois et dun toit forte

et le Capitole provincial de style noclassique lev au

dbut du XXe sicle.

Gestion et protection

Statut juridique

Vigan est actuellement protge au niveau national par

les instruments juridiques suivants :

Dcret prsidentiel No 374, 1974 "modifiantcertains articles de la Loi sur la protection et la

prservation des biens culturels" ;

Dcret prsidentiel No 756, 1975 "modifiant ledcret prsidentiel No 260 afin dinclure dans son

champ le quartier Mestizo, les maisons du preJos Burgos et de Leona Florentino" ;

Dcret prsidentiel No 1505, XIX78 "modifiant ledcret prsidentiel No 260, tel quamend, visant

interdire toutes modification, altration, rfection et

dmolition non autorises dlments

architectoniques dorigine dans tous les sanctuaires,

monuments et autres difices nationaux importants"

Dcret-loi No 358, 1996 "crant une Commissionprsidentielle pour la restauration, la conservation etle prservation du village historique de Vigan"

Une nouvelle "Loi prvoyant la protection et la

prservation du patrimoine culturel philippin..." devrait

prochainement entrer en vigueur.

Au niveau local, lOrdonnance No 05 "prvoyant la

prservation et la protection des maisons ancestrales et

autres biens de Vigan province dIlocos Sur en

des proprits prives qui ne sont pas ouvertes au

public.

L d l ill l

de coordonner les programmes de conservation de la

ville, recevra des fonds du gouvernement national.


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Le centre de la ville et les zones tampon sont

soigneusement dfinis afin de prserver le tissu et le

paysage urbain. Cette mesure a t prise aprs que la

proposition dinscription ait t diffre en 1987 du fait

que les zones ntaient pas correctement dlimites.

La responsabilit de la prservation du centre historique

incombe officiellement la Commission du Patrimoine

Historique de Vigan cre par le dcret-loi No 358 de

1996, en collaboration avec la municipalit de Vigan.

De plus, la Commission entretient des liens avec la

direction du Tourisme, lInstitut historique national, le

Muse national, lAdministration Intra-muros (Manille),

la Commission nationale pour la culture et les arts et les

organisations non gouvernementales impliques dans la

conservation de la ville. Les biens de lEglise sontadministrs par la Commission archidiocsaine pour la

conservation du patrimoine culturel de lEglise.

Dans lattente de la cration de lAgence spcialise

pour la conservation, la gestion quotidienne est assure

par la municipalit de Vigan.

Un srie de plan doccupation des sols et autres plans

prend en compte les besoins particuliers de Vigan des

degrs divers. Parmi ceux-ci :

Plan directeur national du tourisme aux Philippines,1991- 2010 ;

Plan de conservation du centre historique de Vigan,1995 (Tourconsult/International pour la

Commission de lUnion europenne) ;

Plan directeur du dveloppement du tourisme pourla Rgion I, 1992 ; Vigan, 1995 (direction du

Conservation et authenticit

Historique de la conservation

En 1975, le Muse national a entrepris une premireaction de sensibilisation des propritaires et

administrateurs de biens historiques Vigan la

ncessit de suivre des rgles de conservation

appropries. A cet effet un sminaire a t organis au

cours duquel il fut question du patrimoine de la ville et

de la ncessit de le prserver. A lissue de ce sminaire,

un groupe darchitectes et dingnieurs a t mandat

par le Muse pour raliser une tude sur les biens et

mener une mission de conseil auprs des propritaires

sur les mesures de conservation ncessaires. Le manquede financement a cependant limit limpact de cette

action.

Le Plan de conservation du centre historique de Vigan,

1995 (se reporter plus haut) a effectu une enqute sur

les btiments existants (56 maisons comportant un tage

suprieur en bois, 130 maisons entirement construites

en maonnerie ou briques), et constat que 86 de ces

structures taient en bon tat et 84 dans un tat de

conservation mdiocre mauvais.

Un inventaire dtaill de 120 maisons, financ par la

Fondation Toyota, a t effectu en 1996 afin de servir

de base au futur projet de conservation.

Authenticit

Le trac des rues est totalement authentique et

entirement conforme au plan dessin par les Espagnols

au XVIe sicle. Lauthenticit de lensemble du paysage

chinoises se sont allies pour crer un paysage urbain

homogne de grande importance culturelle.

entre la Commission et le Muse national, qui est

lorganisme auquel toutes les demandes relatives

aux btiments historiques protgs doivent tre


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Analyse comparative

Vigan appartient un groupe de grandes villes

commerantes dExtrme-Orient dans lesquelles se

mlent des lments asiatiques et europens, comme

Malacca, Macao, Singapour et Hoi An. Lexemple le

plus proche est probablement Hoi An o lon trouve le

mme type de construction, combinant magasin et

habitation, fortement influenc par le modle chinois.

Vigan est cependant unique en ce quelle est la seule de

ce groupe conserver intact le plan rigide damier des

villes coloniales espagnoles. Les seuls exemples de ce

type durbanisme parvenus jusqu nous se trouvent en

Amrique latine, mais ceux-ci ne prsentent pas la

fusion multiculturelle de Vigan.

Observations et recommandations de lICOMOS pour

les actions futures

La proposition dinscription de Vigan sur la Liste du

patrimoine mondial a t examine par le Comit lors de

sa 13e Session Paris en dcembre 1989. Le Comit a

recommand quelle ne soit pas inscrite sur la Liste,

mais a exceptionnellement "suggr que les autorits

philippines contactent lICOMOS et le Secrtariat afin

dtudier la possibilit dlaborer une nouvelle proposition dinscription compose dlments

particulirement significatifs du patrimoine historique

trs spcifique des Philippines" (Rapport du Comit,

XIV.46.C).

LICOMOS avait recommand le rejet en 1989 du fait

que "ce bien culturel ne montrait pas dexemplarit

suffisante, et les caractristiques urbaines et

architecturales de Vigan ntaient en aucun cas

q p g

adresses.

Lordonnance municipale devant crer lAgence pour la Conservation tait sur le point dobtenir

lagrment lorsque la mission a eu lieu. Etant donn

quelle prvoit la constitution dune quipe de

spcialistes de la conservation, lICOMOS craint

que cela ne cre un problme de rpartition des

tches dans un avenir proche.

LICOMOS recommande quil soit demand lEtat

partie : a. de modifier lgrement les limites des zones

centrale et tampon de manire les rendre plus

conformes pour linscription sur la Liste du Patrimoine

mondial et b. de dlimiter clairement les responsabilits

et les comptences de chaque organisme - existant et en

cours de cration - impliqu dans la prservation de la

ville historique, afin dviter tout conflit dautorit et

une ventuelle rptition du travail.

Brve description

Vigan est lexemple le plus intact de ville coloniale

espagnole fonde au XVIe sicle en Asie. Son

architecture reflte la runion dlments culturels en

provenance dautres rgions des Philippines, de Chineet dEurope, ce qui cre une culture unique et un

paysage urbain sans quivalant en Extrme-Orient.

Recommandation

Le Bureau a recommand que cette proposition

dinscription soit renvoye lEtat partie, en demandant


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Documents

Nomination 1999