Court stops Taal Basilica project

A Taal court temporarily suspends the construction of a controversial events venue beside
a National Historical Landmark
@piaranada
Published 10:21 AM, November 15, 2013
MANILA, Philippines – The construction of the controversial Jubilee Hall events
venue beside the historic Taal Basilica has been temporarily stopped by a local court.
On November 14, the Taal Regional Trial Court issued a temporary restraining order
(TRO) to stop the construction of the two-story structure, a project of Taal parish priest
Alfredo Madlangbayan, according to renowned sculptor Ramon Orlina, a Taaleño
himself who campaigned to stop the construction.It was Orlina who asked for the TRO,
telling the court the events venue would cheapen the National Historical Landmark
beside it and that its construction violates heritage laws. (READ: Artist, priest fight over
Taal Basilica project)A presidential decree states that altering the original features of a
National Historical Landmark without permission from the National Historical
Commission (NHCP) is illegal.Orlina also asserted that the building's design, made to
look like the ruins of a Roman arcade, would clash with the basilica's "Augustinian
architecture" and lessen the "authenticity" of Taal as a heritage town. It has been a long-
time dream of Orlina and his family to see Taal declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
like Vigan in Ilocos Sur.Madlangbayan however argued that the Jubilee Hall would be a
way to raise funds for the church as it could be rented out to small businesses or for
events like wedding receptions.The court also decided that after 20 days, a hearing for a
court injunction will take place. The hearing requires the two parties, Orlina and
Madlangbayan or the Taal parish, to explain their side of the issue. The hearing will
determine whether the construction should be stopped permanently or allowed to
continue.The granting of the TRO gives Orlina hope for the preservation of heritage in
his hometown."At least it [construction] has been stopped. Until the very end, there were
still many workers working on the building. Now, his [Madlangbayan's] delaying tactics
will not work," he said.He believes their case is strong based on a previous court decision
which stopped the construction of an inappropriately planned and designed chapel also in
Taal Basilica. The chapel was a project of the previous parish priest Jose Salazar.
"I think we have a very strong case to win and demolish it. I have great hopes for the best
in our culture, heritage and patrimony," said Orlina.Rappler asked Madlangbayan for his
reaction to the decision but he refused to comment. – Rappler.com
Artist, priest fight over Taal Basilica project
Sculptor Ramon Orlina opposes an events venue being built beside the historic church in
his hometown of Taal

MANILA, Philippines – A parish priest's plan to build an events venue beside a historic
church dashes hopes for a UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration.
This is the fear driving artist Ramon Orlina's campaign to "preserve the antiquity and
beauty" of Taal Basilica, also known as Basilica de San Martin de Tours. (Editor's note:
We earlier reported that Orlina is a National Artist. He's not. We regret the error.)
The world-famous artist known for his crystalline, modern glass sculptures, is back in his
hometown of Taal, Batangas to oppose the construction of an arcade which he believes
will ruin the chances of the basilica and the entire town of Taal to be declared a World
Heritage Site, a declaration he and his family have been working towards for years.
Taal Basilica, said to be the biggest Catholic church in Asia, is the centerpiece of the
heritage town of Taal. To tourists in the know, Taal is the "Vigan near Metro Manila."
Like Vigan, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, Taal boasts
beautiful Spanish-era mansions, churches and a fascinating history."Taal was founded in
1571, only one year after the founding of Manila which makes it one of the oldest towns
in the country," Orlina told Rappler during a phone interview.Taal Basilica is one of the
glorious remnants of the town's history. Completed in 1878, it features a gigantic Doric-
style main altar measuring 79 feet by 33 feet. The tiles in its baptistery were imported
from Europe. Its majestic ceilings are painted in the trompe-l'œil style, an art technique
dating back to the Baroque era in which painted imagery is made to look 3-dimensional.
The church's ancient bell is also one of the largest of its kind in Asia. A priest's 'racket'
A two-storey events venue called the Casa San Martin II Jubilee Hall will soon rise on
the left side of the basilica if Taal parish priest Alfredo Madlangbayan has his way.
The structure, designed to mimic an ancient Roman arcade, will be a multipurpose events
venue where wedding receptions, debuts, conferences and church meetings can take
place. As of writing, construction of the hall's first level is almost complete.
"Two months ago, I visited the basilica for a photoshoot. That was the first time I saw the
construction," said Orlina.After seeking out Madlangbayan, his friend, Orlina found out
that the arcade was Madlangbayan's project. In fact, he recalls the priest referring to it as
his "new racket."But the construction of the arcade was not approved by the National
Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), a requirement given the arcade's
proximity to the Taal Basilica, a National Historical Landmark.
According to Presidential Decree 1505,"It shall be unlawful for any person to modify,
alter, repair or destroy the original features of any national shrine, monument, landmark
and other important historic edifices" declared as National Historical Landmarks without
the prior written permission from the NHCP Chairman.It also apparently violates
Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 which states "all
intervention works and measures on conservation" of National Historical Landmarks
"shall be undertaken through the appropriate cultural agency which shall supervise the
same."Being only 1.5 meters away from the basilica, the arcade also flouts the rule in the
Heritage Act that says real estate development is only allowed outside the 5-meter buffer
zone surrounding historical landmarks.A distraught Orlina, supported by members of the
Taal Church Historical Authentic Restoration Movement (Taal CHARM), wrote to
NHCP Chairperson Maria Serena Diokno about the illegal structure. After an October 11
inspection by the NHCP's technical team, Diokno wrote to Madlangbayan saying "the
construction and development plan should have been presented to us for our approval
before any construction took place."Madlangbayan should have secured the approval of
the NHCP which is mandated by law to give recommendations on projects like the
Jubilee Hall and ensure its construction uses only methods and materials that strictly
adhere to international standards.
Authenticity vs aestheticsThe heritage laws were created because the government
recognizes the importance of authenticity when preserving historical landmarks.
The Heritage Act states that in heritage zones, "the appearance of streets, parks,
monuments, buildings, 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."The "authenticity" of Taal Basilica is what Orlina is
fighting for.Because the construction of the arcade pushed through without the guidance
of the NHCP, several design elements threaten to destroy the authenticity of the church.
Looking at the arcade's blueprint given to him by Madlangbayan, Orlina noted that "there
is no historical basis for the design of the arcade." Its Roman design, inspired by the
aqueducts of the ancient Roman civilization, clashes with the basilica's "Augustinian
architecture." Its lighting fixtures and tiles belong to the wrong era, he said.
The arcade, which is designed to look like a "fake ruin," also "protrudes further out than
the facade of the Basilica which should not have happened," Orlina wrote to NHCP.
Worse, the arcade's huge size threatens to crowd the Basilica's grounds and block off the
church's left side.
'Rubbish'
Rappler sought Madlangbayan's side but he declined to comment. In a text message, the
priest said, "God will take care of me. Don't worry about me. Jesus was treated worse
than me. That's part of our mission to save this world full of sins and lies! God bless!"
Referring to Orlina, he said, "He is rubbish to me. Non-existent! A UFO!"
Some would call Orlina's concerns trivial, but he maintains that authenticity is more than
mere aesthetics."Taal Basilica is part of my roots. I want my children and my
grandchildren to experience what I experienced."Out of sheer love for the church, Orlina
used his personal funds for the restoration of the church. It was also he who restored the
trompe-l'œil ceiling paintings 10 years ago.
But his love for heritage goes way back. It was the glass panes in his family's Taal
ancestral house that sparked his fascination for glass and light, the foundation of his
career as a sculptor.Orlina's more practical concern is how the arcade may ruin Taal's
chances of being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
"It will not pass UNESCO. When they send their team of experts to evaluate Taal and
they see the arcade, do you think we'll get the declaration? In Vigan or the churches of
Bohol, do you see extensions that were never there before?"
UNESCO declaration
Three items in UNESCO's criteria for World Heritage Sites have to do with authenticity:
• "To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a
civilization which is living or which has disappeared"
• "To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological
ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history"
• "To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement...which is
representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the
environment, especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of
irreversible change"
Taal needs the UNESCO declaration.
"There are no tourists in Taal," Orlina says. "When you think of 'Taal,' you're actually
thinking of Tagaytay with the shops and hotels overlooking Taal Volcano. But Tagaytay
is in Cavite. Taal is in Batangas."
The UNESCO declaration could shine the spotlight on Taal for a change and bring much-
needed funds to the preservation of its built heritage.
Madlangbayan's project is getting in the way of the declaration. Orlina said the parish
priest's flair for the flamboyant has been observed before.
"It's as if he wants to leave a legacy of himself before he leaves the parish. He has been
with the parish for 3 years now. All the locals were baffled by the insignia in all the
renovations he makes. Instead of the church's insignia, there is an 'XIXIXI.' Turns out,
that's the date when he finished the project.""For the longest time, we have enjoyed and
admired a simple and elegant altar in the Baroque style," Orilna wrote to NHCP. But the
altar too underwent renovations, Orilna added.A string of building and renovation
projects reached its zenith when Madlangbayan ordered the renovation of the basilica's
main altar.Appreciated in the past for its simple and elegant Baroque style, the altar "has
been transformed into an overly designed and ornate style of the French rococo that is not
at all appropriate to the Augustinian architecture and design of the Basilica," Orlina wrote
the NHCP."It's flamboyant. It's wrong. Simplicity is beauty."For Orlina, heritage
structures deserve more respect than this."Hindi pwedeng nangarap ka lang, gagawin mo
na (It cannot be that whatever you dream, you construct). You should respect what was
there."NHCP has invited Madlangbayan to a dialogue with Taal stakeholders over the
project. It will be held on November 4 in Taal. – Rappler.com