Gotiaoco Bldg closer to heritage status

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council’s committee on laws has been tasked to review the proposed ordinance that would declare the 98-year-old Gotiaoco Building along MC Briones St. near Cebu City Hall as a heritage site.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, head of the City Council’s committee on tourism and historical affairs, already rendered a committee report that it does not have any objection to the proposal.

Osmeña explained that declaring the Gotiaoco Building as a heritage site is in line with the provision of Republic Act 10066, otherwise known as the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, which is aimed at protecting, preserving and conserving the nation’s cultural heritage.

The nearly century-old building, which is just across the Cebu City Hall, will soon be converted into a Chinese museum to be initiated by the Sugbu Chinese Heritage Foundation.

The five-story building, built in 1914 by Pedro Gotiaoco, a Chinese trader from Fukien Province in China, is one of Cebu’s earliest commercial buildings and contributed to the economic growth of Cebu City at the time.

Osmeña said that the structure has a touch of neo-classic American period architecture which is evidenced by its arcaded facades, window proportions that partake of the golden mean and heavily-set reinforced concrete outer posts.

It was learned that once there is already an ordinance declaring the century-old building as a heritage site, the Cebu-based Chinese foundation will immediately start converting the structure into a museum for Chinese items.  — (FREEMAN)