Erap, the heritage conservator

MANY of Manila’s heritage buildings and historical landmarks are in various stages of disrepair and disappearance.

The Manila Metropolitan Theater, once known as the “Grand Old Dame of Manila,” still stands in darkness across the street from the Manila Post Office, more than a year after the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) purchased it from the Manila City Government.

Escolta Street is still struggling to find tenants, despite its grand history as a cultural and commercial center of Manila, home to the Capitol Theater, Heacock’s Department Store (the first fully air-conditioned shopping center in the Philippines), and the Crystal Arcade, among many others.

Intramuros is a standing rebuke to elite politicians and influential businessmen who abused their positions to appropriate for themselves historic sites for commercial purposes. Intramuros was colonial Manila’s crown jewel.

Other heritage buildings have suffered worse fates. During its heyday, the Jai-Alai Fronton on Taft Avenue was heralded as one of the prime examples of Art-Deco architecture in Asia. It should’ve stood as a glowing legacy from the Basque Province where most of our prominent Spanish entrepreneurs came from. Sadly, we demolished the building in 2000.

To pave the way for bus stops, we bulldozed what was the first botanical garden in Asia, the place between Metropolitan Theater and Manila City Hall. Hundreds of vintage “Bahay na Bato” were demolished in Binondo with very little outcry from heritage defenders.

Recently, plans are reportedly underway to convert the 11-hectare Rizal Coliseum into a shopping mall, with the rest of the area of the Sports Complex to be converted into mixed-used development. Mayor Erap Estrada told the media that a joint venture agreement had already been forged between the City Government of Manila and businessman Enrique Razon.

If indeed such a plan exists, we would have completely ignored and forgotten the historical significance of the Rizal Coliseum and of the entire Sports Complex (RMSC). Since 1934, it served as the venue for many international sporting events, the training grounds for generations of Olympic athletes, a Beatles concert, and even a tank battle during the Second World War.

Mayor Erap, one sincerely wishes, would be at the vanguard of the preservation and conservation of Manila’s historic and cultural heritage. As it stands now, Manila and suburbs are virtually choking with malls. There are no true public parks and recreational areas, not enough greenery to shield and at the same time trap the pollutants of a congested city.

Mayor Erap is not only a living legend in film; his philanthropy for actors, artists, and other cultural workers is singular and well-documented. Hence, he would not be wanting for support, including restoration design and materials, especially from local and Spanish friends abroad—not to mention several heritage conservation groups. All the big philanthropist-entrepreneurs of the Philippines operate in Manila. For sure, if a genuine masterplan is drafted to restore Manila to its old fame and glory, many will respond.