Ugly side of Tourism Authority revealed

By the case of a disapproved sports complex project
that desecrates the Fort Santiago shrine

By Katrice R. Jalbuena

The walls of Intramuros and the hallowed, historic
edifices within them—among the most beautiful
reminders of the Philippine Spanish past—are being
desecrated by an unauthorized and twice disapproved
sport-complex project of the Philippine Tourism
Authority.

Costing P25 million, the project touches the outside
walls of the Fort Santiago Shrine (which has the Rizal
Shrine within it), thus defacing a historical monument
and possibly endangering the shrine’s structure.

The sports complex is being built—or was, because
Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano has ordered
a 15-day stoppage of construction— in Intramuros
Administration- controlled land that used to be the
driving range of Club Intramuros.

The man behind the project is no less than Robert Dean
S. Barbers, PTA general manager.

Barbers, according to records of the Intramuros
Administration of which Secretary Ace Durano is the
chairman and Dominador C. Ferrer Jr. is the
administrator, has persisted in building the sports
complex despite its being disapproved in the May 4,
2006, meeting of the Intramuros Administration Board.

The project, according to people close to the problem,
reveals an ugly side of the Philippine Tourism
Authority.

In fact, other records The Times saw copies of, show
that Barbers started the project in 2005 or earlier on
the basis of a Memorandum of Agreement between the PTA
and I. A. Bosque Construction Corp.

Dated November 29 and 30, 2005, Barbers approved the
release of P3,709,852.32 to I.A. Bosque Construction,
representing 15 percent of the “total contract cost of
P24,732,358. 77 and must have approved the disbursement
voucher dated November 30, 2005.

Visible from the Fort Santiago wall facing the
Bonifacio Drive and Del Pan Bridge, iron scaffoldings
are in place, some of these touching the wall itself.
Building materials and equipment, lie about.

However, the construction workers, actively at work in
previous months, are now just lazing around or resting
inside their makeshift shelters. For the work on the
project has been halted. The workers are waiting
orders from their supervisors to resume.

Asked why they have stopped working, they claim not to
know. But they will tell you that the order to work
again that they are waiting for will come from
Barbers.

The reason for the stoppage is of course the command
from the boss’ boss, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace
Durano.

The construction is bereft of a building permit from
the City of Manila, whose Mayor Joselito Atienza is
also a member of the Intramuros Administration which
has the power to approve or disapprove such projects
as this.

The IA and the City of Manila would both not issue a
building permit to this sports complex because it will
deface and endanger the Fort Santiago Shrine.

It is also, according to the minutes of the May 4,
2006, IA board meeting, disapproved “for the reason
that the proposed site has been designated as a
special zone and prohibited area. . . .” Further, the
design of the building is not in accordance with the
architectural standards set by PD 1616 as the proposed
structure is massive and the height is higher than the
walls.”

“It is dismaying,” said a tour guide who takes clients
to Fort Santiago every day. “If the sports complex is
truly going to fill the area, it will cover a huge
chunk of Intramuros’ walls from view. Even now, it
detracts from the area’s historical significance. The
groups of foreign tourists I will be leading to Fort
Santiago will ask—instead of the romance and the
history of this sacred place—what that ugly
construction is.”

According to several other tour guides, who spoke on
condition of anonymity—the site was prepared for
construction sometime in December last year. Not only
is the site a distraction to the tourists, but also an
embarrassment.

There have been several incidents when construction
workers heckled and shouted catcalls at some of the
tourist.

However, the biggest concern of Intramuros
Administration officers is the sport complex’s
proximity to walls. This poses an immediate danger to
the walls themselves.

“All it would take is one little accident and
irreparable damage would be done to the walls,”
Marietta V. Allaga, the Urban Planning and Community
Development Division head of IA. “That is why we would
never approve such a project.”

Intramuros is under the jurisdiction of the IA. By
virtue of Presidential Decree 1616, the IA was created
for the purpose of restoring and administrating the
development of Intramuros. Any construction to be done
in the environs of Intramuros requires an IA building
permit, which is also approved by the City of Manila.

According to Allaga, who monitored with alarm the
growth of the project since last year, after alerting
the IA Administrator, he took the matter up with
Durano and the secretary issued a stoppage order dated
March 5, 2007. The stoppage order is for 15 days. This
means the project can resume by next Wednesday.

“The IA did not issue a construction permit,” said
Allaga. “There should not be a structure in that
area.”

Allaga declined to comment on what would happen after
the 15 days were up.

“We have no record of a building permit or an
application for a building permit for a construction
site outside the walls of Fort Santiago,” City of
Manila Building Officer Engineer Saturnino Disu.

According to Disu, the area in and around Intramuros
falls under the jurisdiction of the IA and building
permits would be required to be issued by the IA for
any construction projects in the area. The IA along
with a city engineer would inspect and approve the
project.

“The building permit would be issued by the IA,”
continued Engineer Disu. “But the permit would still
pass through my City division for me to affix my
signature.”

According to Engineer Disu, it would be unlikely for
the IA or even the City Building office to issue a
building permit for a site such as this sports complex
that is practically leaning on the walls of
Intramuros’ Fort Santiago.

“It is a historical site,” said Disu. “It is too close
to a historical site. That is not permitted.”

It is unclear as to how the construction was allowed
to even begin—since it is illegal.

Not only was the site deemed to be possibly
destructive to a valuable historical site; the project
also did not even go through the proper channels and
procedures.

For now, the IA and the City of Manila Building
Division are in agreement that construction of this
sports complex project of Barbers in the area is
illegal—for lack of the proper papers and for being in
an area in which construction should be prohibited.

In the meantime, the stoppage order is in effect over
the area.

The staff of Durano told The Times that the notice of
the stoppage order has been delivered to the PTA and
to Barbers. In the 15 days that the stoppage is in
effect, Barbers will be given an opportunity to
explain the project and may attempt to procure a
building permit to continue the structure—if the
permit is granted.

Barbers has refused our request for an interview and
give him a chance to explain.

Though Durano was able—in his capacity as DOT
secretary and chairman of both the IA and the PTA—to
put a stop to the construction for now, he was
unavailable to comment on the future of the proposed
sports complex or how it was that the project was even
allowed to get underway without following the proper
procedures.

This reporter tried several times to contact the
secretary and was unsuccessful and informed by the
staff that the secretary was busy.

Durano is the spokesman of the proadministration Team
Unity Senate slate.

What an absolute shame, whats more sad is that the guy didnt invest this money towards I dunno let me see, Rebuilding some of the ruins within the walls?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

i say bye bye, bring that place down and just keep the section of the Rizal shine. that place just serves the Philipines no good it where the Spanish controlled the Philipines its still serving its perpose, colonizizm. The American should have completely bombed and the japanese should have destroyed it completely too.

Wow Promo are you for real? you seem to be like every one of these folks that seem to forget where your place is. So ill gladly put you back there, I find it extremely ridiculous that we have these negative feelings towards the Spanish colonization of our country. Yes they were harsh to our people, but look around you. The impact of it, is deeper than you seem to comprehend. Its what makes us who we are. As for Fort Santiago to just ignore it and not give a damn would be a great injustice to all the Filipinos whose sweat and sufferring built the damn thing.

what ever dude i'd don't kiss no one's @$$! as for the Filipinos that built that place, i have respect for them after they just wanted live. but how about the people that died in that place how about them through the its continuing legacy?

that place still serves as symbol of tyranny! no matter how you spin it.

Ay bruh, I never said you were kissing anybodies asses, your words not mine. I respect what you said and I understand it completely. "that place still serves as symbol of tyranny! no matter how you spin it" Well then all I can tell you is this. Why not stop with Fort Santiago and Intramuros, if your Catholic denounce it, If you have a spanish last name change it, When you speak Tagalog(or whatever dialect you speak) dont use any of the spanish loan words, omit it. Write your local congressman and tell him to change every spanish named streets in your area and have him tear down all the churches. All these things Ive just mentioned ALSO serve as symbols of tryranny. Not so easy to do huh? You still dont get it? I dont think you will ever understand how DEEPLY ROOTED this is, to YOU, ME and EVERY single Filipino at home and overseas.

did that already and i've been talking to my friend that Filipino muslim for year or so but then i came to a point its better just to be neither.

that would be a start but it should start with the ppl mentality. then we could maybe change things around, but then some names were muslim so that won't fly. other ppl think that Philipines never had a history before Spanish came they think we're nomads or caveman type of ppl that no system. so i think if show whats "Philippines" was before it would be great for our identity and national pride for Filipinos in Philippines and overseas. maybe the west coast Filipinos would stop cliaming Pac. Islander and be proud of being Filipino.

Youre definately right about that bruh, it starts with the people. Then again Im not sure how many times I have to tell you that all of THIS is so DEEPLY and ill say it again DEEPLY and then one more time DEEPLY ROOTED in people, that they wont just wake up the next day and just forget about everything that they know, with just a blink of an eye. What your saying sounds soooooo regressive! I cant even believe I just read that. Shame shame shame. We just need to accept who we are and our story, and that is the bottom line. This is my personal saying that I go by here in DC, "Do what you know and not what could have been" Trust me bruh that mentality will get you a long way.

tsk tsk. anong nangyari sa thread na to? wag sisihiin ang Pilipinas kung may identity crisis kayo.

i like the walls of intramuros. masarap tumambay diyan at maglakad-lakad lalo na pag gabi.

KristlehI is that so? Tell me about it for real. All I have to go by are Internet article and pictures. My family migrated from Manila to Maryland when I was 8 and I barely remember Intramuros. I cant wait to finally go home next summer, its been almost 15 years since I left. I want to be able to see it before PROMO's Coalition task force razes the whole joint and turn it into SM Tyranny Mall

LOL!!!!

It could be turned into park for all i care but that thing shouldn't be still standing.

and WTH a statue of king Philip was put up?!!?!?!?! but i think they have a Rizal statue up in Spain duh.

You really make me wonder man about your oppressed mentality bruh. Are you using them to vent out your shortcomings? Dont blame the spaniards if your having a hard life. Come on "Let go" and "Move one". I had a hard time letting go of my hatred for Japanese folks for a while because of WWII. Although I wasnt there to witness the things that happened I felt incredibly outraged. But I realized its the past, you cant do anything about it but remember and move forward.

I have no issues or shortcoming that i'm blaming for the Spanards or Japanese. its about the Identity of the Philiipines. just like you said i can only read it, image it and remember it and move on. I could say the same for Philipines if they can't embrace our past pre-spanish era then Philipines can't move forward. see that the thing if can't do or won't bother to do anything about it we just might not have a place go back to. I wish ppl would go back to RP and help out. (and i'm plannig on doing this in the near future.) anyways this isn't really a big deal to me it the wellfare of the children in Philipines that has me pissed off the most. Education is the key! if only right.

Well I wish you luck on that, tell me how it works out for you. Im glad we finally came to an agreed conclusion! Helping the welfare of the nation should come before anything else like wasted time on silly indentity crises'