Beyond the commerce of man

 

When the nation's cultural heritage is at loggerheads with commerce, which should prevail?

The recent ruling of the Supreme Court temporarily stopping the construction of a 46-storey  condominium that obstructs the vista or visual corridors of the Rizal Monument in Luneta does not yet answer this question, but it is a step forward in doing so.

The High Court en banc, voting 8-5, granted the petition of the Order of the Knights of Rizal's request for a TRO against the construction of the Torre de Manila condominium.

The National Commission on Culture and the Arts had earlier issued an order stopping the construction. But the Manila city government had given the greenlight for the project, so that today, the condo appears to be almost completed.

The arguments cited by the Order of the Knights of Rizal, are not without merit, to be sure. 

First, the condo project "sticks out like a sore thumb, and dwarfs" all surrounding buildings within a radius of two kilometers. Allowing the Torre de Manila to be completed would be considered the "worst precedent imaginable... to devalue historical landmarks."

Second, the condo builder acted in bad faith and violated Manila's zoning ordinance and other laws as well as existing guidelines on monuments.

Third, the Rizal Monument, having been declared a National Cultural Treasure, is entitled to full protection of the law. The towering building in the background of the Rizal Monument is a "nuisance" that "annoys and offends the senses" of Filipinos who honor Rizal's memory.

And fourth, the condo project violates the National Historical Commission's set of guidelines which state that historic monuments should assert a visual "dominance" over the surroundings, and that "vista points" and "visual corridors" to monuments must be kept "clear for unobstructed viewing and appreciation and photographic opportunities."

All these arguments appear valid. Hence, the TRO issued by the Supreme Court is justified, and the condo project should be discontinued and torn down especially if it is conclusively shown that anomalies attended the grant of a building permit by Manila City Hall.

           

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Image by tl.wikipedia.org