The efforts by the government geared towards responsible restoration and conservation have resulted in the retention of the original materials and substantial features of the baroque churches.
The use of the Baroque churches as permanent sacred places devoted to acts of divine worship of the Catholic faith continues.
Protection and management requirements
Three churches and their land properties are legally owned, administered, and managed by their respective corporations sole while one church (San Agustin, Intramuros) is owned and managed by the Agustinian Order. The churches have been traditionally administered by church authorities and parishioners. Specific church Management Plans were not prepared at the time of inscription but the San Agustin Church in Intramuros is covered by the Management Plan of the Intramuros Administration. There is an overall management system where the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the overall site manager. The NCCA works with its culturally affiliated agencies – the National Museum (NM) and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) who are the implementers of conservation and restoration projects. Altogether the three agencies collaborate closely with the church authorities-owner of the property and with the stakeholders as well who are made aware of projects on the churches. The day to day management of the church is undertaken by the church authorities. There is a tri-partite agreement for the conservation and management of the World Heritage property as well as other nationally designated heritage sites. The main actors of the tri-partite agreement are the NCCA, the NM, the NHCP and the church authorities.
At the time of inscription, the properties had already been strongly protected by national legislation declaring them as National Cultural Treasures and as National Historical Landmarks through Presidential Decrees 260 and 375. The National Commission of Culture and the Arts provides for resources (funds) for its conservation, protection and regular maintenance.
The churches are presently covered and protected through RA 10066 (National Heritage Law) and RA 10086 (National Historical Commission of the Philippines Law). These legislations ensure their proper safeguarding, protection, conservation, management and use as religious structures, as declared National Cultural Treasures, National Historical Landmarks, and as World Heritage properties. A strong administrative protection system is in place through a Tripartite Agreement between the different national cultural government agencies while agreements between Church authorities and the Government have been entered into, especially the Accordo between the Holy See and the Republic of the Philippines on the Cultural Heritage of the Catholic Church in the Philippines, which was ratified on 29 May 2008. The Implementing Rules and regulations (IRR) of the 2009 Cultural Heritage Act of the Philippines, which is still in the process of being approved, states that the highest standards of conservation shall be applied to World Heritage properties and that its authenticity, integrity and OUV shall not be allowed to be compromised.
Conservation and restoration are undertaken through offices under implementing national cultural agencies which ensure the regular monitoring of its state of conservation including its many concerns, threats and problems. The Canon Law on the pastoral care of the cultural heritage resources of the Church is likewise being applied by the Catholic authorities. The site manager of the Baroque Churches (NCCA) works with the NM and NHCP in ensuring that work is done according to World Heritage standards and in order to improve the conservation management processes so that the Outstanding Universal Value of the properties are maintained and properly managed. If in case repairs are done that involve the replacement of deteriorated parts, these are undertaken with care so that the replaced areas are differentiated from the original.
Both affiliated cultural agencies sit at the National Commission for Monuments and Sites (NCMS) as ex-officio members. A Technical Working Committee (TWC) has also been established within the NCCA composed of experts on conservation and its members ensure that the highest standards of conservation are afforded to World Heritage properties. Both the NM and the NHCP are the implementers of projects in the Baroque Churches and they too sit as members of the NCCA, NCMS and TWC.
Involvement of local communities is strongly encouraged and they are considered important stakeholders where their views are listened to in consultative processes. Church authorities’ involvement in all aspects is vital and they also form an essential part of agreements to ensure that conservation is undertaken at their level, being owners of the properties.