Philippine Registry of Cultural Property
The Philippine Registry of Cultural Property, abbreviated as PRECUP is a national registry of the Philippine Government used to consolidate in one record all cultural property that are deemed important to the cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, of the Philippines. In June 11, 2018, the entries in the newly-updated PRECUP was at 3,921. Additionally, 1,259 out of 1,715 LGUs, or 73 percent of LGUs have established local cultural inventories.
Establishment
This registry was established by the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 Section 14 which says "All cultural property of the country deemed important to cultural heritage shall be registered in the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property."Implementation
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts is mandated to establish and maintain the registry, through the appropriate cultural agencies and local government units, within three years from the effectivity of the act. As stated in Section 14 of said legislation, the guidelines in the registration of cultural property are as follows:Issue on ownership
It was clarified that by its enactment, Republic Act No. 10066 does not transfer ownership of the properties, identified as part of the Philippines' cultural heritage, to the state.Contents
The highest cultural properties under the PRECUP are UNESCO inscriptions, followed by National Cultural Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. In resolution 2017-330 released in December 19, 2017 entitled "Guidelines governing PRECUP", the properties that can be included in the PRECUP are as follow:- Grade I level properties including:
- *World Heritage Sites as inscribed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
- *National Cultural Treasures or unique cultural property found locally which has outstanding historical, cultural, artistic, and/or scientific value. It is highly significant and important to the country and is officially declared by the National Museum, the National Library, and the National Archive
- **Archaeological and traditional ethnographic materials with outstanding historical, cultural, artistic, and/or scientific value which is nationally significant and important to the nation, and officially declared as such by the National Museum
- **Filipiniana materials as officially declared by the National Library, that satisfy all of the following criteria:
- ***Unique and outstanding representation of Philippine history, culture, and/or literature
- ***First of its kind in the Philippines
- ***One of ten known copies around the world
- ***Possessed demonstrable evidence of historical, literary, and/or cultural significance, as seen in multiple printings, editions, translations, and/or adaptations in various formats over a period of at least four decades
- *National Historical Landmarks or sites or structures that are associated with events or achievements significant to Philippine history as declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines
- *National Historical Shrines or cultural property which are hallowed and revered for their history or association as declared by the NHCP
- *National Historical Monuments or structures that honor illustrious persons or commemorate events of historical value as declared by the NHCP
- *Heritage Houses as declared by the NHCP
- *Heritage Zones as declared by the National Museum and/or the NHCP in consultation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board or other concerned agencies
- Grade II level or Important Cultural Properties including:
- *Important Cultural Properties or cultural properties having exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines as declared by the National Museum, the National Library, and the National Archives
- **Filipiniana materials as officially declared by the National Library
- ***Created by a National Artist or a national hero
- ***Such that satisfy all the following criteria:
- ****Unique or outstanding representation of Philippine history, culture, and/or literature
- ****One of one hundred known copies around the world
- ****Possesses demonstrable evidence of historical, literary, and/or cultural significance, as seen in multiple printings, editions, translations, and/or adaptations in various formats over a period of at least two decades
- *Works by Manlilika ng Bayan awardees unless declared by the appropriate cultural agencies, or its presumption removed by the NCCA
- *Works by National Artists unless declared by the appropriate cultural agencies, or its presumption removed by the NCCA
- *All archaeological, traditional, ethnographic materials, unless declared or its presumption removed by the NCCA
- **Archaeological materials dated back to Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Metal periods
- **Archaeological materials attributed to the Tang, Five, and Yuan Dynasties
- **Archaeological materials attributed to the Song, Ming, and Ching Dynasties; and other archaeological materials from other countries with exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines, as determined by the National Museum
- **Ethnographic materials that are at least 100 years old from date of collection, with cultural significance and extensive documentation
- *All sites and structures bearing historical markers installed by the NHCP and its predecessors
- *Classified Historic Structures, covering all heritage churches and houses of worship before the year 1940, as declared by the NCHP
- *Archival materials or documents at least 50 years old unless declared or its presumption removed by the NCCA
- *Rare books, special collections, and incunabula unless declared of its presumption removed by the National Library
- *All holotypes of fossils, plants, and animals
- *Structures dating at least 50 years old
- *Archival material/document dating at least 50 years old
- Grade III level or Cultural Properties . These are all other cultural properties not declared as Grades I or II
- *Archaeological materials not classified as Grades I or II that have been listed by the National Museum
- *Ethnographic materials that are at least 50 years old from the date of collection, with cultural significance and proper documentation
- *All other Filipiniana materials not classified as Grades I or II as declared by the National Library
- Uncategorized Property not falling under the presumption of Important Cultural Property but contains characteristics that will qualify as such
- Local Cultural Properties or cultural properties which are significant to local culture and history as declared by the Sanggunian or Legislative Assembly
- *Regional Cultural Property as designated by an ordinance of the Regional Legislative Assembly
- *Provincial Cultural Property as designated by an ordinance of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
- *City Cultural Property as designated by an ordinance of the Sangguniang Panlungsod
- *Municipal Cultural Property as designated by an ordinance of the Sangguniang Bayan
- *Barangay Cultural Property as designated by an ordinance of the Sangguniang Banrangay
- Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage as inscribed by the UNESCO
- Intangible cultural heritage elements, under the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, in one or more of the 5 domains provided by UNESCO:
- * Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of Intangible cultural heritage
- * Performing arts
- * Social practices, rituals, and festive events
- * Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
- * Traditional craftsmanship
Registration by LGU
- All cultural agencies shall individually maintain an inventory, evaluation and documentation of all cultural properties declared according to their category and shall submit the same to the Commission.
- Local government units, through their cultural offices, shall likewise maintain an inventory of cultural property under its jurisdiction and shall furnish the Commission a copy of the same;
- All government agencies and instrumentalities, government-owned and/or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries, including public and private educational institutions, report their ownership and/or possession of such items to the pertinent cultural agency.
- Private collectors and owners shall register their cultural property to the National Museum. Registered cultural properties shall remain in the possession of their private owners.
See Also
- List of World Heritage Sites in the Philippines
- List of Memory of the World Heritage of the Philippines
- List of National Cultural Treasures in the Philippines
- Philippines National Historical Landmarks
- Important Cultural Property
- Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Philippines
- Historical markers of the Philippines
- Lists of Cultural Properties of the Philippines
- List of National Living Treasures of the Philippines
- List of National Artists of the Philippines
- Ancestral houses of the Philippines
- National Cultural Heritage Act
- Tourism in the Philippines
- Dambana
- Suyat