The NHCP ordered Oslob Municipality to stop construction on a P200-million sports center in its town plaza until securing heritage clearances, while denying a petition to demote the Old Municipal Building's protected status.
Local resident Mark Arnold Langahid reported that construction activities and plaza barricading continued despite previous NHCP warnings, while the DENR previously issued a cease and desist order for illegal tree cutting.
Mayor Ronald Guaren has not publicly responded to the NHCP’s Sept. 30 directive, which aims to protect Oslob’s historic urban landscape from irreversible physical damage.
THE National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has directed the Oslob Municipality to halt the construction of a proposed P200-million sports and cultural center until it secures the necessary heritage clearances. At the same time, the commission denied the town’s request to strip the Old Municipal Building of its protected historical status.
The directive, outlined in a Sept. 30, 2026 letter to Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren, addresses ongoing tensions between local officials pushing for modernization and residents advocating for heritage conservation. The NHCP emphasized that the review of the sports center project, planned inside the Oslob Town Plaza, remains unfinished.
At the center of the dispute are two significant components of Oslob’s historic landscape: the Old Municipal Building and the town plaza itself. The Municipality had filed a petition to remove the Old Municipal Building’s
presumption as an Important Cultural Property (ICP) — a designation given to structures with exceptional cultural, artistic or historical significance to the country. Removing this status would have paved the way for the building’s demolition to make room for the new facility.
Preserving a historic landscape
The NHCP board formally denied the petition to lift the ICP status, stating that the building plays a vital role in Oslob’s historical development and stands as a representative example of civic architecture.
Local officials had argued that the area used for the town plaza was merely an open parking lot before it was improved in 2015. However, the NHCP clarified that a site’s historical significance is not based solely on its recent physical improvements. Because the plaza is located within the historic town center and sits near centuries-old religious and civic properties, the commission considers it part of Oslob’s historic urban landscape, which is protected under the National Cultural Heritage Act.
The planned development has faced strong opposition from residents and heritage advocates who fear the loss of the town’s cultural identity. Concerns escalated when Oslob resident Mark Arnold Langahid wrote to the NHCP on Sept. 26, reporting that the Municipality had barricaded the plaza with blue galvanized iron sheets and continued construction activities despite previous warnings from the commission.
Langahid noted that the local government had not issued official statements or confirmed if it had secured the proper permits, leaving the public largely in the dark.
“May ngipin po ba ang batas at posisyon ng komisyon laban sa mga politico/LGU (local government unit) hindi sumusunod sa mandato?” Langahid asked.
(Does the law and the commission’s position have teeth against politicians or local government units that do not comply with the mandate?)
Awaiting clearance and compliance
The NHCP had previously warned Guaren on Sept. 3 against proceeding with the project or demolishing the old building. The commission cited rules that strictly restrict the construction of covered courts and multipurpose halls inside historic plazas without explicit approval.
Beyond the heritage concerns, the project has also faced environmental hurdles. On July 18, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a cease and desist order against the Municipality. This followed a July 8 groundbreaking ceremony where 10 trees in the plaza were cut down without proper notification, violating the conditions of the town’s special permit.
The NHCP maintains that no site development, construction or other interventions should happen within the Oslob Town Plaza until its evaluation is complete. The restriction aims to prevent irreversible damage to the historic town center and adjacent cultural properties.
While the NHCP acknowledged the Municipality’s earlier commitment to hold off on activities affecting the area, the commission has yet to directly address the recent barricading reported by residents. Guaren has not yet issued a public response to the NHCP’s latest directive.
/ CDF