GUIDELINES ON THE STANDARDIZED SUBMISSION OF LOCAL CULTURAL

INVENTORY UNDER THE PHILIPPINE REGISTRY OF CULTURAL

PROPERTY FOR THE ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATE OF
COMPLIANCE TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS
___________________________________________________________________

JOINT MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. _____________

Date: ______________________

1. Background

Section 2 of Republic Act No. 10066, otherwise known as the “National Cultural Heritage
Act of 2009,” mandates the protection, preservation, conservation and promotion of the
nation's cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the ethnicity of local communities.
Specifically, Sections 14(b) and (c) of the said Act requires local government units to
establish and maintain an inventory of cultural property while Section 16 of this Act directs
them to document and preserve the traditional and contemporary arts present within its
jurisdiction.

The inventory prepared by LGUs shall be submitted to the National Commission for Culture
and the Arts (NCCA) for inclusion in the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property
(PRECUP), a registry of all cultural properties of the country deemed important to its
cultural heritage. PRECUP serves as a repository of the nation’s dynamic culture, to aid in
its development, promotion and dissemination.

In this regard, this Joint Memorandum Circular is being issued to provide the NCCA
guidelines relative to the preparation of local cultural inventory (LCI) and its subsequent
submission to the Commission for evaluation and inclusion in the PRECUP. This Circular
will supplement DILG-NCCA Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-01 relating to the
preparation of LCI.

2. Purpose

2.1. To discuss the standards and guidelines for the preparation of LCI; and
2.2. To provide the procedures on the submission and rules of evaluation of the LCI.

3. Definition of Terms

As used in these Guidelines, the following terms shall be construed to mean:

3.1. Certificate of Compliance (COC) refers to the certificate issued to local

government units which has adhered to the procedures on the submission of LCI,
and is used primarily as a proof of compliance to Section 14(b) of Republic Act No.
10066. It shall not be used as a form of accreditation or endorsement of the NCCA
for any other purpose.
3.2. Commission refers to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
 3.3. Traditional and Contemporary Arts and Crafts refers to the peoples' learned
process along with the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform and are
developed by them; the products they create and the resources, spaces, and other
aspects of social and natural context necessary for their sustainability; that
communities, groups, and individuals recognize as existing in their locality; and
liberally identified as emerging and evolving and may be eventually considered as
part of its local cultural heritage.
3.4. Cultural property shall refer to all products of human creativity by which a people
and a nation reveal their identity, including churches, mosques and other places of
religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites, whether public
or privately-owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible.
3.5. DILG refers to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
3.6. Intangible Cultural Property refers to the peoples' learned processes along with
the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform and are developed by them, the
products they create and the resources, spaces, and other aspects of social and
natural context necessary for their sustainability, manifested through the practices,
representations, expressions, knowledge and skills, as well as the instruments,
objects and artifacts associated therewith, that communities, groups and individuals
recognize as part of their cultural heritage, such as: (1) oral traditions, languages
and expressions; (2) performing arts; (3) social practices, rituals and festive events;
(4) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and (5) traditional
craftsmanship.
3.7. Local Cultural Inventory (LCI), also known as Local Inventory of Cultural Property
or Local Cultural Database, refers to the inventory of identified tangible and
intangible cultural properties, being maintained by the local government unit which
reveal the identity of its community, and provide systematization and information on
local cultural heritage.
3.8. Local Culture and Arts Council (LCAC), refers to the local special body chaired
by the local chief executive whose purpose is the promotion of culture and the arts,
coordination with government agencies and non-governmental organizations,
appropriation of funds for the support and development of the said council,
implementation of LGU obligations under the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,
and other related functions prescribed in DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2017-
133.
3.9. Tangible Immovable Cultural Property refers to natural and man-made
structures, formations, and landscapes such as, but not limited to, bridges,
government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, quartels, train
stations, lighthouses, small ports, educational, technological and industrial
complexes, and their settings, and landscapes with notable historical, archival,
anthropological, archaeological, artistic, and architectural value.
3.10. Tangible Movable Cultural Property refers to natural and man-made objects,
regardless of their size or volume, individual or collective, such as, but not limited
to, paintings, sculptures, heraldic items, weapons, archeological remains, vintage
photographs, ecclesiastical objects, baptismal records, traditional clothing, musical
instruments, with notable historical, archival, anthropological, ethnographical,
archaeological, artistic, and architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional
production, whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history
specimens with significant value.

4. Scope/Coverage

All Provincial Governors; City and Municipal Mayors; Presiding Officers of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan; Regional
Governor of the BARMM; and all others concerned.
5. Policy Content and Guidelines

5.1. Roles and Responsibilities of Respective Agencies. The following are the roles
and responsibilities of the LGUs, the DILG and the Commission with regard to LCI
preparation, submission and evaluation:

5.1.1. The Local Government Unit. The LGU, through its LCAC, shall facilitate
the preparation of the LCI and the endorsement of the same to the local
Sanggunian for its adoption/recognition as the LGU’s official inventory of
cultural properties. It shall likewise endeavor to meet the standards of an
acceptable and compliant inventory to comprehensively document its
cultural properties to further promote their preservation, promotion and
protection. The LCAC shall also cause the submission of the LCI and its
required attachments to the NCCA.

5.1.2. The Commission. The NCCA shall assess and monitor the LCI submitted
by the LGU for the PRECUP on an annual basis, and shall issue the
certificate of compliance when the LGU is found compliant with the
documentary requirements. The Commission reserves the right to validate
and revise the entries of cultural properties in order to maintain and protect
the integrity of the information accessioned in the Registry database. The
Commission shall also monitor the issuance of Certificate of Compliance of
the LGU, and make the compliance status of the LGU publicly accessible
online through the NCCA website.

5.1.3. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The
Department shall closely work with the Commission to ensure the widest
dissemination of this guidelines and the continuous improvement of
outcome-based performance of the LGUs with regard to regularly updating
the LCI.

5.2. Compliant Local Cultural Inventory. In pursuance of the mandate of the NCCA
to formulate and implement policies for the development of culture and arts, the
Commission issued Resolution No. 2017-330 which adopts the guidelines governing
PRECUP. As stated in Section 5.8.1.1 of this Resolution, the following are the
characteristics of a compliant and acceptable LCI:

5.2.1. It is an inventory of publicly and privately owned, tangible and intangible

cultural properties, including the documentation of traditional and
contemporary arts and crafts. This inventory shall include locally significant
properties not yet formally declared by the concerned national cultural
agencies such as National Cultural Treasures, National Historical
Landmarks, National Historical Monuments, or Important Cultural Properties,
among others;
5.2.2. It is established and updated annually by the local cultural office using the
PRECUP Forms; and
5.2.3. It is accompanied by a Sanggunian Resolution recognizing it as the official
provincial, city, or municipal inventory.

5.3. Content of the LCI. The LCI will be composed of a summary list (Annex A)
enumerating all the documented cultural properties, and the actual documentation
of these properties using the PRECUP Forms or its electronic version known as
PRECUP e-Forms. The instructions on how to accomplish them are also provided
in the PRECUP Forms. Only one cultural property shall be documented per
 PRECUP Form. The following are the three types of PRECUP Forms depending on
the type of cultural property being documented:

5.3.1. PRECUP Form 1 for Tangible Immovable Cultural Properties, and the
required data fields therein (Annex B);
5.3.2. PRECUP Form 2 for Tangible Movable Cultural Properties, and the required
data fields therein (Annex C); and
5.3.3. PRECUP Form 3 for Intangible Cultural Properties and the Documentation
of Traditional and Contemporary Arts and Crafts, and the required data fields
therein (Annex D).

5.4. Submission and Evaluation of Inventory. Section 6 of the NCCA Resolution No.
2017-330 pertaining to procedures for registering cultural properties by LGUs is
hereby reiterated. The means by which the NCCA will provide feedback to the LGUs
are also discussed below.

5.4.1. Submission of the LCI. The LGU shall submit the LCI, Sanggunian
Resolution and related multimedia materials to the Commission. The
multimedia materials may be in the form of photographs, videos, and audio
recordings of the cultural properties.
5.4.1.1. A cover letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission and
attention to the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP)
Office with the subject: Official Submission (or) Updating of Local
Inventory of Cultural Property shall accompany the LGU
submission.
5.4.1.2. The period of submission of LCI for the current year shall be done
by the LGU from January 1 to December 15 of the current year. Any
submission made after this period shall be considered as
submission for the following year. The LGU may submit a hard copy
of the LCI through mail to The Chairman, NCCA, 633 General
Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila 1002. The LGU may also opt to
submit an electronic file of their LCI through email address
precup@ncca.gov.ph.
5.4.1.3. Upon the submission of the LCI, the Commission shall, through a
letter, acknowledge the submission of the LCI and update the
submission status of the LGU in the NCCA website for information
of the public.

5.4.2. Assessment of Local Cultural Inventory. The Commission shall assess

the contents of the LCI and, through an assessment report, provide
recommendations for the improvement of the LCI upon its next updating in
the following year. For contents of the LCI which need improvement, the
Commission shall likewise issue an assessment report requesting the LGU
to comply with the requirements within a 90-day period. The processing of
submission of LCI and its documentary requirements shall be done
throughout the current year until March 30 of the following year.

5.4.3. Accessioning in the Registry Database. Entries of cultural properties

included in the LCI shall be accessioned in the PRECUP database. The
enumeration and basic information about the cultural properties shall be
made publicly accessible online through the NCCA website. Information on
 location and ownership of privately-owned cultural properties shall be
withheld.

5.4.4. Issuance upon Compliance. The LGU shall be issued with the Certificate
of Compliance following the acknowledgement of submission of LCI,
assessment of contents, and accessioning of entries of cultural properties in
the Registry database. The COC issued to the LGU on the submission of LCI
for the current year shall be valid and effective until December 31 of the
following year.

5.4.5. Transmittal of Compliant LGUs to the DILG. The Commission shall

likewise submit to the DILG an updated list of LGUs which have submitted
their LCI for inclusion in the PRECUP during the given year.

5.5. Grounds for Non-Issuance of Certificate. Any of the following shall be a ground
for the non-issuance of COC:
5.5.1. Incompleteness of data of cultural properties;
5.5.2. Failure to meet the minimum requirements for the submission of LCI;
5.5.3. Failure to submit or update the LCI annually; and
5.5.4. Willful non-inclusion of cultural properties under the area of jurisdiction of the
LGU.

5.6. Signatory of the Certificate of Compliance. The authorized signatory and

jurisdiction for the issuance of the COC shall be vested upon the Chairman of the
Commission.

5.7. Fees. No certification fee shall be collected for the issuance of the COC. However,
request for Certified True Copies of the Certificate, a fee in the amount of Php 100.00
per copy shall be paid in accordance with the Schedule of Fees to be imposed by the
Commission.

5.8. Implications of Registering Cultural Properties. All cultural properties that will be
enlisted in the Registry will merit protection by the Commission, pertinent cultural
agencies or local government units which are responsible for the registration of
pertinent cultural property.

5.9. Guide for SGLG Assessment. This Circular shall serve as a guide in defining the
parameters for the “existence of an updated cultural property” indicator as part of the
assessment criteria for the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

6. Transitory Provision

The LGUs that have already submitted their LCI using the PRECUP Forms are no longer
required to submit a new inventory for the first year of implementation of this Joint
Memorandum Circular. An assessment report or a COC, depending on the completeness
of their submissions, will be issued by the Commission to these LGUs.

7. Effectivity

This Joint Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.

8. References

8.1. Republic Act No. 10066: National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009
8.2. Republic Act No. 11292: The Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 2019
8.3. Republic Act No. 7356: Law Creating the National Commission for Culture and the
Arts
8.4. DILG-NCCA Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2018-01: Local Inventory of Cultural
Property as Required Under R.A. 10066
8.5. NCCA Board Resolution No. 2017-330: Guidelines Governing the Philippine Registry
of Cultural Property
8.6. DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2017-133: Revision of DILG Memorandum Circular
No. 2002

9. Approving Authority

EDUARDO M. AÑO ARSENIO J. LIZASO

Secretary, DILG Chairman, NCCA

10. Feedback

For related queries and more information, all concerned may call the NCCA PRECUP
Office at Telephone No. 85272192 loc. 309, or email at precup@ncca.gov.ph.
 Annex A
Sample Summary List

Republic of the Philippines

Provincial/City/Municipal Government of ______________

Local Cultural Inventory*

Summary List as of ___Date____
This list shall be considered as Incomplete if enumerated cultural properties are not accompanied by PRECUP Forms

COC Number of Previous Year’s LCI: ______________________________________

For old entries,

Type Date PRECUP are there
PRECUP New
Name of Cultural (tangible immovable, Form was revisions in the
Form Used Entry?
Property tangible movable, or Prepared/ property’s
(Form 1, 2 or 3) (Yes or No)**
intangible) Updated PRECUP Form?
(Yes or No)***

*The LGU is free to provide their own name for their LCI.
**Put “No” if the property was already included in the prior year’s LCI submitted by the LGU to the Commission.
Otherwise, place “Yes” in this column.
***This column is applicable to old entries only. Put “Yes” if there are changes in the PRECUP Form of the cultural
property. Also, attach the revised PRECUP Form with the edited contents highlighted. In case there is no new
information pertaining to a previously documented cultural property, just place “No” in this column and the LGU is
not required to resubmit its PRECUP Form.

Prepared by:

_________________________________________
Name and Signature of Cultural Officer

Noted by:

_________________________________________
Name and Signature of the Local Chief Executive