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RIZAL MEMORIAL IS HERE TO STAY. The NHCP put a stop to Manila's plan of another shopping complex at the expense of the legendary Adriatico edifice. |
MANILA -- In what is the biggest victory by heritage conservationists and sports fans alike, the famed Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Adriatico is saved from the proverbial wrecking ball after the National Historical Commission of the Philippines declared it as a National Historical Landmark.
Led by chairperson Rene Escalante through its Resolution 5 last March 27, the NHCP invokes Republic Acts 10066 and 10086 in declaring the fabled mecca of Philippine sports an important cultural landmark, stopping the plan of the City Government of Manila to convert it into a shopping mall to be bankrolled by a group led by Enrique Razon that led to numerous protests from the sports and heritage sector, including one from the PAMANLAHI last January.
The resolution backed up the earlier declaration by the National Museum that Rizal Memorial is "an important cultural property."
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Football fans in the nation's capital will be delighted that the premier venue for the beautiful game will be saved from the wrecking ball. |
The entire complex played host to the Asian Games of 1954 and twice used as the main stadium for the SEA Games of 1981 and 1991.
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