The Municipality of Licuan-Baay and the University of Northern Philippines College of Architecture and Built Environment formally unveiled and turned over the Conservation Management Plan (CMP) for the 24 priority traditional houses of Barangay Poblacion during ceremonies held at the Municipal Hall of Licuan-Baay on May 4, 2026.
The ceremonial turnover marks a pivotal step forward in the municipality’s continuing cultural heritage preservation initiative, strengthening efforts to protect and sustain the architectural identity of the community for generations to come.
At the center of the event were presentations by 5th year BS Architecture students who presented the culmination of months of cultural mapping, heritage documentation, and architectural recording of the identified ancestral houses. The outputs documented the spatial, historical, and cultural significance of the structures, many of which embody the indigenous identity and vernacular architectural traditions of the community. The presentations were followed by an open forum and community validation session, allowing homeowners, residents, and local stakeholders to affirm and contextualize the documented heritage narratives.
The turnover ceremony also formally concluded the “Binongan Saluad-Tawid” academic collaboration between UNP and the local government of Licuan-Baay under the administration of Mayor Hon. Darwin Domingo. A memorandum of agreement signing was likewise conducted during the event, led by Dr. Fatima Nicetas Alonzo, Dean of the College of Architecture and Built Environment, together with Ar. Julius Artates, Engr. Maila Ragasa, and Ar. Carol Pugal, reinforcing institutional commitments toward sustained heritage conservation initiatives.
Both the university and the municipal government are now preparing for the initiative’s succeeding phase, which includes pursuing Important Cultural Property recognition for the traditional houses through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, expanding architectural documentation efforts to the remaining heritage structures in the municipality, and integrating conservation-oriented policies into Licuan-Baay’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan to ensure the long-term safeguarding of its cultural landscape.
