6 FEU buildings named National Cultural Treasures
MANILA, Philippines — Six buildings of Far Eastern University (FEU) have been named National Cultural Treasures in accordance with Museum Declaration-1-2018, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) announced.
The buildings given recognition are:
- the Nicanor Reyes Sr. Hall,
- the Adminstration Building,
- the Admissions Building (the former Engineering or East Asia Building),
- the Architecture and Fine Arts Building (the former Law Building),
- the Science Building,
- and the FEU Chapel.
The chapel is home to two life-size murals by National Artist Carlos "Botong" Francisco, "The Stations of Cross" and "The Crucified Christ."
FEU celebrated the bestowing with a small ceremony unveiling a special marker in the Administration Building, signifying each building's historical and cultural significance.
The same building also houses sculptures by Italian artist Francesco Ricardo Monti about the different historical eras of the Philippines.
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Also unveiled at the ceremony was a memorial plaque to the late architect Pablo Antonio Jr., son and namesake of the National Artist who designed a majority of FEU's esteemed structures.
The school's president Juan Miguel Montinola noted that FEU's treasures were not in confined spaces but enjoyed daily by the students "who will carry with them the memory of our rich cultural heritage."
"FEU has stood as a symbol of dedication to the harmonious blend of history and modernity. The marker serves as a reminder of our collective duty to safeguard this heritage, which is not only a relic of the past but a bridge to a bright future," said National Museum's Deputy Director-General for Museums Jorell Legaspi.
Last 2005, FEU was granted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Asia-Pacific Honorable Mention Heritage Award where five buildings were considered heritage structures.
Architecture is also a flagship program of the school, in support of global goals for sustainable cities and communities.
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