Amendments to P.D. No. 1277 Re: Preservation and Restoration of Intramuros

June 11, 1978

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1537

AMENDING PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1277 DATED JANUARY 4, 1978 ENTITLED "PROVIDING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WALLS OF INTRAMUROS AND THE RESTORATION OF ITS ORIGINAL MOAT AND ESPLANADE" BY INCLUDING PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE WALLED CITY

WHEREAS, the Walled City and its Walls represent as integral parts of our national history; and if properly preserved and conserved will contribute to the tourist potentials of the City of Manila;

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 1277 dated January 4, 1978 was issued to save the deteriorating conditions of the Walled City and its Walls;

WHEREAS, some provisions of the said decree are not clear on the preservation of the Walled City;

WHEREAS, some items are not covered in the said decree to insure the success of the preservation and restoration of the Walled City and its Walls.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby amend Presidential Decree No. 1277 dated January 4, 1978 to read as follows:

SECTION 1.  The Walls of Intramuros which are precious historical relics of the artistry, craftsmanship and industry of Filipino craftsmen and laborers should be restored, preserved and maintained in accordance with this Decree and the rules and regulations that may be promulgate pursuant thereto.

SECTION 2.  Those parts of the Walls of Intramuros with minor damages shall be maintained and cleaned as they are, those parts which have been almost totally destroyed shall not be reconstructed but also left as they are; but those parts which have suffered only partial destruction shall be restored.

SECTION 3.  An access road of at least six meters from and along the inner face of the walls and a clear space of 55 meters from and along the outer face of the walls, bastions and ravelins shall be provided for and so maintained, this area being the site of the most which shall be restored together with the esplanade.

SECTION 4.  This road and space shall be opened to the public and shall not at anytime be obstructed or used for parking.

SECTION 5.  The owners, administrators, representatives, and/or persons-in-charge of the buildings, structures, and/or constructions encroaching on the above-mentioned easements, shall have three months from the date of publication of this Decree to clear the area, otherwise the Military Corps of Engineers shall demolish their structures and the cost of demolition charged against them.

SECTION 6.  Any person found adding to, taking away from, and/or defacing the walls, or else altering them without written authority from the National Historical Institute, shall suffer a fine of not less than one hundred pesos, nor more than one thousand pesos for the first offense; and a fine of not less than one thousand five hundred pesos, nor more than five thousand pesos and/or imprisonment of not less than one month or more than six months on subsequent offenses.

SECTION 7.  With the exception of the historic spots therein the district of Intramuros, known as the Walled City in the City of Manila, is hereby declared a commercial, residential, educational and cultural district. All buildings to be constructed hereafter in said district including those on privately-owned lots shall be designed for residence, business establishments, offices, schools, colleges and universities; Provided, that nothing contained in this section shall be construed to preclude the construction or reconstruction of old churches and convents in said district.

SECTION 8.  The character of all buildings to be constructed within the Walled City shall conform substantially to the Spanish-Filipino colonial architecture of the proper period.

In case any building in the Walled City is desired to be altered, or repaired, the same architectural designed shall likewise be adopted when the entire facade is affected by the alteration or repair. cdt

SECTION 9.  No building used for warehousing or empty lots used for container storage or for storage or for storage of crates shall be allowed in the district of Intramuros.

SECTION 10.  The height of buildings within the Intramuros district shall be based upon the widths of streets on which the building abuts but the total height of the structure shall not exceed 30 meters. No tower shall be 35.00 meters high measured from the top of the sidewalk.

SECTION 11.  The existing street widths, curb to curb, previous to the destruction of the Intramuros in 1945 shall be preserved.

SECTION 12.  Necessary funds to carry out the purposes of this Decree shall be included in the annual appropriations for the National Historical Institute and disbursements shall be made by said office according to general auditing rules and regulations.

SECTION 13.  The National Historical Institute shall exercise supervision and control over the reconstruction or preservation of the aforesaid areas and structures and shall issue rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Decree. No building shall be constructed or remodelled within the Intramuros District without prior approval of the Institute.

The Institute is likewise empowered to call on any department, bureau, office or any agency of the government, including government-owned or controlled corporations, for such assistance as may be needed in the discharge of its functions.

SECTION 14.  All laws, orders, rules and regulations which are inconsistent with this Decree are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 15.  This Decree shall take effect thirty days after its publication in the Official Gazette. acd

DONE in the City of Manila, this 11th day of June, in the Year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Eight.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 74 No. 36, 7004-Z Supp., on September 4, 1978.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 79 No. 20, Page 2954 on May 16, 1983.