P9.48-M released to begin undergoing major rehabilitation work and restore Manila Metropolitan Theater

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P9.48M has been released by the DBM in order to jumpstart rehabilitation work on the Manila Metropolitan Theater. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts purchased the heritage building from the Government Service Insurance System last May.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P9.48 million to cover the initial conservation work on the Manila Metropolitan Theater (MET), after the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) purchased the historic theater from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) with a P270-million fund release made available by the budget agency.

“The Aquino Administration had made the first step in purchasing this iconic landmark from GSIS, and now the NCCA can begin the worthy task of restoring the MET to its former glory. Ultimately, funding the MET’s rehabilitation will not only preserve a piece of history from our country’s storied past. It is also a cultural investment for future generations of Filipinos,” Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said.

The amount of P9.48 million is a special budget release that will be charged against the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA). The latter represents the NCCA’s 10-percent share from the travel tax collected by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA, formerly the Philippine Tourism Authority), and is treated as an Automatic Appropriation. 

The release will fund the conservation efforts to rehabilitate the theater, which includes the mobilization expenses for the physical cleaning as well as the establishment of security.

“Rehabilitating the MET will restore dignity to the Crown Jewel of Manila Theaters after years of neglect and disrepair. Bringing the MET into the modern age will also boost our country’s tourism industry, as the proper management of our cultural heritage will support the gains of our economic growth,” Abad said.

Designed by architect Juan Arellano and opened in 1931, the MET was constructed in the Art Deco style. It had undergone restoration and rehabilitation several times through the years, especially in the wake of the damage it incurred after World War II. Despite being a National Cultural Treasure, it had been closed due to the theater’s state of decay and issues with regard to its ownership since 2012.

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Call for Entries: UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation

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Entries are now being accepted for the 2014 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The Awards highlights the achievements of private or public-private initiatives for the restoration and conservation of heritage building properties in the Asia-Pacific Region. Since its establishment in 2000, the Awards have received over 500 entries from the region.

Outstanding restoration works shall be given the following recognitions: Award of Excellence, Award of Distinction, Award of Merit, and Honorable Mention. On the other hand, the “Jury Commendation for Innovation” award shall recognize newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding architectural design that have been well-integrated into historic contexts. The awardees would have conclusively demonstrated excellence in the Understanding of the Place, and Social and Policy Impact.

Last year’s awardees include the Great Serái in Kabul, Afghanistan and the Tai O Heritage Hotel in Hong Kong, China. In the Philippines, the Nielson Tower and art deco buildings of the Far Eastern University have both been given the Honorable Mention Awards in 2001 and 2005, respectively.

Interested parties may nominate their projects by submitting the following requirements before 30 April 2014:

1) Official entry form

2) Project Description, using the official format

3) Occupant’s Comments

4) Owner Consent Form

5) Rights Authorization Form

6) Drawings (A4 Format) and 7) CD-ROM of the aforementioned documents.

You may download the official forms, brochures and guidelines at www.unescobkk.org/culture/heritageawards.

Nominations may be sent to UNESCO Bangkok through postal mail or courier to: Culture Unit, UNESCO Bangkok, 920 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10110, Thailand, with a copy furnished to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines via email at secretariat@unesco.gov.ph

For more information, interested parties may contact the Culture Unit of UNESCO Bangkok through email:culture.bgk@unesco.org or telephone: (66 2) 391-0577 ext. 509