Name: Dave C. Quinto, Jr.

Date: 1 August 2020

Section: C31

Topic: Heritage towns: Saving tourism in the Philippine provinces

Thesis statement: Saving the tangible cultural heritage is a persistent problem in the
Philippines. There are two ways to solve this problem: promote adaptive reuse to
owners of ancestral houses in the provinces and create local heritage societies.

I. (Hook) When people talk of ancestral houses, they think of one thing: ghosts.
A. (Exposition) Such attribute stems from the fact that many people see these
houses as insignificant.
1. Heirs of original owners are not interested.
2. Restoring these houses require a hefty sum of money (Santos, 2013).
B. (Objective) People should start seeing what is beautiful in these houses.
1. These houses are tangible evidences of the cultural development of
Philippine society (Manalo, 2017).
2. Each house has a personal narrative to tell.
3. They are architectural models.
C. (Thesis statement) Saving the tangible cultural heritage is a persistent problem
in the Philippines. There are two ways to solve this problem: promote adaptive reuse
to owners of ancestral houses in the provinces and create local heritage societies.

II. (Body) There is still a chance to save these cultural repositories if we begin now.
A. (Point 1) By promoting adaptive reuse, these old houses will have a stronger
identity and contemporary function.
1. In Pila, Laguna, the zaguan of an ancestral house adjacent to the local
church has been converted into a 7/11 convenient store.
2. If properly restored, these houses, especially those located near tourist
destinations, could be converted into a cafe or bread and breakfast like Sulyap
Cafe (Amoroso, 2018).
3. These adaptive reuse practices could save the property, its cultural
significance and provide additional income to present owners.
B. (Point 2) Local heritage societies should also be established in order to
strengthen partnerships with owners, government agencies and external institutions.
1. Heritage societies could help in identifying important cultural properties
in a locality (Reyes & Cancio, 2016).
2. These organizations could also facilitate conservation programs and work
closely with NHI and the National Museum of the Philippines (Jose, 2016).
3. Most of all, these societies could help in troubleshooting the concerns of
owners of ancestral houses and even raise them in appropriate agencies.

III. (Conclusion) These practical solutions can save these cultural treasures.
A. (Synthesis) They are doable if both owners and other stakeholders will
cooperate.
1. If some ancestral houses were able to adapt, others can.
2. If owners of these houses will organize, they will have a stronger voice.
B. (Strong Closure) Jose Rizal once said, “Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa
pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.”
References:

Amoroso, C. (2018). The rise of Sulyap Cafe. The Philippine Star.

http://philstar.net/lifestyle/news/jysh789

Jose, R. T. (2016). Cultural laws in the Philippines today. UST University Press.

Manalo, J. (2017). Cultural assets in the era of development. Journal of Heritage

Studies, 23(1), 89-97. doi: 8769.987/jkyh

Reyes, R., & Cancio, M. (2016). The Heritage Conservation Society in the gilded

age. http://www.hci.com.ph/art/010008765

Santos, B.R. (2013). Saving our ancestral houses. The Manila Bulletin.

http://www.mb.net/789-ijuhs/kjysh