THE National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has provided Baguio City with a P15 million grant to develop a Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the Dominican Hill Retreat House, also known as the Diplomat Hotel.
The city council, through a resolution, has authorized Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the NCCA for the conservation of the site, which is part of the initiative to rehabilitate the retreat house as a cultural hub for the city’s arts community, in line with Baguio being a UNESCO Creative City.
Prior to the proper conduct of the CMP, the city will undertake consultations with stakeholders, training and capacity building for its proper management and conservation, cultural mapping, and architectural and engineering mapping.
The project entails the conduct of preliminary studies to determine the view protection, preparation of a business model and 3D models, public presentations and consultation, and a policy recommendation, as well as other initiatives to better conserve the site.
The NCCA, in line with the project, will also train conservation specialists for the site.
The grant is in line with the NCCA’s mandate under Republic Act No. 7356, otherwise known as the Law Creating the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, which mandates the commission to “encourage the continuing and balanced development of a pluralistic culture by the people, conserve and promote the nation’s cultural heritage, ensure the widest dissemination of artistic and cultural products, and preserve and integrate traditional culture and its various creative expression as a dynamic part of the national cultural mainstream.”
