Joint Explanatory Statement of the Bicameral Conference Committee on the Disagreeing Provisions of Senate Bill No. 1841 and House Bill No. 5110

Committee on Culture and the Arts

JOINT EXPLANATORY STATEMENT OF THE BICAMERAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ON THE DISAGREEING PROVISIONS OF SENATE BILL NO. 1841 AND HOUSE BILL NO. 5110

23 May 2023

Our heritage is our most precious asset. It is our vital link, our irrefutable connection to the past, and the living form of the present. The passage through time of a work of art, the evolution of a historic structure, or the interpretation of practices or traditions are just some of the expressions that define our national identity.

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues in this Senate, the Committee on Culture and the Arts now presents the Bicameral Conference Committee on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill No. 1841 and House Bill No. 5110, after having met and fully discussed the subject matter, hereby report to their respective Houses the following, that:

The proposed reconciled version provided in the matrix of the differing provisions of Senate Bill No. 1841 and House Bill No. 5110 was adopted as the working draft;

The bill format used by the Senate of the Philippines on Senate Bill No. 1841 was agreed to be adopted as the standard format of the reconciled bill;

Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as Section 1 of the reconciled bill;

The title of Article I of Section 1 of the Senate version was amended and adopted as an amendment to the Title of Article I of Republic Act No. 10066 to read as follows:

ARTICLE I
PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES

Section 3 of Section 1 of the Senate version and Section 3 of Section 1 of the House version were consolidated and adopted as an amendment to Section 3 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Definition of Terms”;

The title of Article III of Section 1 of the Senate version was amended and adopted as an amendment to the Title of Article III of Republic Act No. 10066 to read as follows:

ARTICLE III
CULTURAL PROPERTY AND NATURAL PROPERTY OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Section 4 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 4 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Categories”;

Section 7 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 7 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Privileges for Cultural Property;

Section 8 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 8 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Procedure for Declaration or Delisting of Grade 1 and Grade II Level Cultural Properties”;

The title of Article V of Section 1 of the Senate version was amended and adopted as an amendment to the Title of Article V of Republic Act No. 10066 to read as follows:

ARTICLE V
REGISTRATION AND PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY AND NATURAL PROPERTY OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE

Section 14 of Section 1 of the Senate version and Section 14 of Section 2 of the House version were consolidated and adopted as an amendment to Section 14 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Establishment and Maintenance of a Philippine Registry of Heritage”;

Section 15 of Section 1 of the Senate version and Section 14A of Section 3 of the House version were consolidated and adopted as an amendment to Section 15 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Cultural Mapping by LGUs”;

Section 16 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 16 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Cultural Mapping by ICCs/IPs”;

Section 17 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 17 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Cultural Mapping, Research, and Planning Division”;

Section 25 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 25 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Renaming of Historic Place Names”;

Section 34 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 34 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Responsibilities of Cultural Agencies for Designation of Cultural Property”;

Section 35 of Section 1 of the Senate version was adopted as an amendment to Section 35 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Institutional Linkages of the National Cultural Agencies”;

Section 38 of Section 1 of the House version was adopted as an amendment to Section 38 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Incorporation of National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Property in the Basic Education System”;

Section 39 of Section 1 of the House version was adopted as an amendment to Section 39 of R.A. 10066 or the section on “Cultural Heritage Education Program”;

Section 2 of the Senate version or the section on “Appropriation” was amended and adopted as Section 2 of the reconciled bill;

Section 3 of the Senate version or the section on “Joint Congressional Oversight Committee” was modified and adopted as Section 3 of the reconciled bill;

Section 4 of the Senate version and Section 7 of the House Version or the section on “Implementing Rules and Regulations” were consolidated and adopted as Section 4 of the reconciled bill;

Section 5 of the Senate version or the section on “Separability Clause” was adopted as Section 5 of the reconciled bill;

Section 6 of the Senate version or the section on “Repealing Clause”, was adopted as Section 6 of the reconciled bill;

Section 7 of the Senate version or the section on “Effectivity Clause” was adopted as Section 7 of the reconciled bill; and

The title of the House version was adopted as the title of the reconciled bill to read as follows:

AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF PHILIPPINE CULTURAL HERITAGE THROUGH CULTURAL MAPPING AND AN ENHANCED CULTURAL HERITAGE EDUCATION PROGRAM, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10066, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE “NATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE ACT OF 2009”

This month of May, we celebrate the National Heritage Month, and the ratification of the Cultural Mapping Bill, amending Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, is a momentous occasion.

I thank the Senate conferees to the bicameral conference committee, Senator Nancy Binay and Senator Koko Pimentel, for their contributions and support to this measure.

Cultural mapping is a way to make heritage an inclusive tool for local and national development. Cultural mapping employs a grassroots approach that empowers local communities to identify and assign cultural value to important properties.

With the devastating aftermath of a fire that razed the Manila Central Post Office building, there is an urgent call for a thorough and transparent investigation.

With this tragedy, cultural mapping is necessary to establish and strengthen our heritage in a spirit of stewardship for the inspiration and benefit of the present and future generations.

Thank you, Mr. President.