University of the Cordilleras among NCCA 2020 Competitive Grants Awardees

May 11, 2020

A project from the University of the Cordilleras (UC) has been selected by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as a recipient of the NCCA 2020 Competitive Grants Program under the Monuments and Sites Category.

UC’s proposed project entitled “Development of Burnham Park Built Heritage Inventory” aims to document natural and man-made developments within the Burnham Plan in 1905, 1917, 1928, and from 2003 to present. It will also assess historical developments and conditions of built structures presumed 50 years and older within the Burnham Plan, highlighting the methods of construction undertaken and the personalities involved in the construction.

The Burnham Park is an integral element in the original plan for Baguio City designed by urban planner Daniel Burnham over a century ago. The city’s original layout follows a linear axis starting from the Baguio City Hall, crossing Burnham Park at the center, and ending at the Government Center. The park has since become a landmark tourist destination, synonymous to the city itself.

As a key fixture in the city, the project aims to become a reference for future developments and policy making concerning the park. Moreover, the project will serve as a historical documentation of Burnham Park to preserve and retell the park’s historical significance and to celebrate its impact and contribution to the city’s heritage.

Architect Irene Florendo of the UC College of Engineering and Architecture will lead the team for this project alongside students in UC’s Master of Science in Architecture program.

The NCCA Competitive Grants Program takes off from the commission’s vision of “Filipino culture as the wellspring of national and global well-being” in line with Republic Act 7356 which allows the commission to “give grants for the development, protection, preservation and dissemination of Philippine culture and the arts through the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts.”

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