ARCHITECTURAL CONSERVATION: How Important Is A Place’s Culture to Its History and Future?

INTRODUCTION

Have you ever been fascinated by a place’s history being full of different stories of its people and all? Well, the Philippines, with its 1000+ islands, is a country rich with a variety of different cultures and stories that are written in its history which are sure to bring anyone’s jaw to the ground. Proof of that can be found in Central Luzon or Region 3, the Pampanga province.

The province of Pampanga is composed of 6 districts, 538 barangays, 19 municipalities, 2 component cities, and an independent city, Angeles City. Aside from its provincial boundaries, the different places that make up the province offer a wide variety of cultural practices and tradition. When one says “culture” we often think about the beliefs, norms, religions, ethnicity, and lifestyle of the people living in a specific geography, but we should not forget that the different structures that stood the test of time and natural calamities are to considered as part of one’s culture.

Pampanga, being heavily influenced by Spaniards, has a lot of old structures with Spanish colonial style that is now considered to be part of their built heritage, as they have contributed to the province’s history, and are now being conserved architecturally. These heritage sites are scattered in different places in the province. A number of which may be found in San Fernando’s heritage district. The San Fernando Old Train Station, now a museum, is one example. Our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, disembarked from this station to visit his friends in San Fernando to recruit members of the La Liga Filipina. During the Death March in April 1942, it was the ending point of the long walk from Bataan of the Filipino and American prisoners of war.

CONCLUSION

Both the community and the government play an important role in preserving the different architectural heritage that is present today. They are part of our history, culture, and, most importantly, identity. They are witness to the sufferings, sacrifices, and resilience experienced by our ancestors in the hands of their colonizers. They are proof that though we are vulnerable to being colonized, our true identity of being Filipinos will always shine through because we can adapt to whatever the circumstances throw at us.