THREE Dominican heritage structures have obtained the recognition of the National Museum of the Philippines, in a circular released last Dec. 23.
The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manaoag in Pangasinan was declared a “National Cultural Treasure.”
The church, a national pilgrimage site under the Order of Preachers, is home to the ivory image of the Blessed Virgin Mary and is affiliated with the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome.
The National Museum also declared the Diplomat Hotel ruins in Baguio and the Angelicum School in Iloilo as “Important Cultural Properties.”
Formerly known as the Colegio del Santisimo Rosario, the Diplomat Hotel ruins at Dominican Hill in Baguio City was inaugurated by the Dominicans in May 1915. It was used by refugees during World War II.
The Angelicum School in Iloilo, formerly known as the Lizares-Gamboa Mansion, was sold to the Dominicans in 1962 and was converted into a House of Formation for young Dominicans in 1963.
A total of 21 cultural treasures and 32 cultural properties were given recognition by the museum.
To be declared a National Cultural Treasure, a structure must be a “unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic, and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country and the nation.”
An Important Cultural Property pertains to a site or a landmark with “exceptional, cultural, artistic, and/or historical significance.”
