National Historical Commission of the Philippines

Philippine agency on the country's history and mewing

National Historical Commission
of the Philippines

Abbreviation| NHCP
Formation| 1933
Type| Historical commission
Headquarters| NHCP Building, T.M. Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila
Location|

* Manila, Philippines

Coordinates| 14°34′52″N 120°58′42″E﻿ / ﻿14.58111°N 120.97833°E﻿ / 14.58111; 120.97833

Chairperson

| Regalado T. Jose Jr.

Executive Director

| Carminda R. Arevalo
Website| nhcp.gov.ph

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (Filipino: Pambansang Komisyong Pangkasaysayan ng Pilipinas, abbreviated NHCP) is a government agency of the Philippines. Its mission is "the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management and heraldry works." As such, it "aims to inculcate awareness and appreciation of the noble deeds and ideals of our heroes and other illustrious Filipinos, to instill pride in the Filipino people and to rekindle the Filipino spirit through the lessons of history."[1]

## History

[edit]

NHCP building in Manila

While the current form of the NHCP was established in 1972 as part of the reorganization of government after President Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law, its roots can be traced back to 1933 when the American colonial Insular Government first established the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee (PHRMC).[2]

### Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee (1933)

[edit]

The Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee was created by U.S. Governor General Frank Murphy, by virtue of Executive Order 451, to identify and mark "historic antiquities" first in Manila, then throughout the Philippines, as a first step towards their preservation.[3] The Church of San Agustin, Fort Santiago, Plaza McKinley, the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Manila, San Sebastian Church, Concordia College, Manila Railroad Company, Dr. Lorenzo Negrao, and University of Santo Tomas (Intramuros site) were among the first structures to be granted markers.

The installation of markers was first limited to identify antiquities in Manila. However, the commission's mandate was later expanded to cover the whole of the Philippines. Many markers were destroyed or lost due to World War II, along with the structures they represent, and many have been replaced by post-war markers.

This first committee was composed of American journalist Walter Robb who served as chair; American Anthropologist H. Otley Beyer \- who would later be known as the father of Philippine Anthropology; Spanish Jesuit Fr. Miguel Selga, SJ; Dean Edward Hyde from the University of the Philippines College of Engineering; and Filipinos Jaime C. de Veyra, Conrado Benitez, and Eulogio Balan Rodriguez.

### Philippines Historical Committee (1935)

[edit]

With the establishment of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935, President Manuel L. Quezon signed Executive Order No. 91 in 1937, creating the Philippines Historical Committee (PHC), which took over the functions as its predecessor, as well as the tasks of repairing government-owned antiquities and acquiring antiquities owned by private individuals.[4][3] While there are extant historical markers issued in 1941 (e.g. Magellan's Cross, Basilica del Santo Niño, First shot of the Philippine-American War, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, & Malacañan Palace), there are no known records of the activities of the committee during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, as the Committee closed in protest.

In the postwar reconstruction years the PHC was busy as there was a government interest in "the reconstruction of the past as a means to form nationhood." Reconstituted six months after Philippine independence in 1946, the committee was first placed under the Office of the President, and then transferred to the Department of Education. During this time, it installed over 400 historical markers all over the archipelago; named and renamed various streets, plazas, towns and other public places; and acquired places and relics of heroes.

As the nation rebuilt itself, a number of other historical commissions were also created by law to commemorate the birth centennials of various Philippine heroes of the late 19th century. All of these commissions were eventually merged into one National Heroes Commission created in 1963.

### National Historical Commission (1965)

[edit]

In July 1965, Congress passed Republic Act No. 4368 that created the National Historical Commission (NHC) and effectively abolished the Philippine Historical Committee and the National Heroes Commission whose functions were delegated to the NHC. Among the functions of the NHC are the following: to publish or cause to have written or published the works of our national heroes and other great and good Filipinos; to compile from various sources here and abroad data on Philippine history and prepare and publish there from source books on Philippine history; to identify, designate and approximately mark historic places in the Philippines and to cause the construction or reconstruction and to maintain and care for national monuments, shrines and historic markers that have been erected; to take charge of all historical activities or projects not otherwise undertaken by any entity of the government; to gather data on historical dates, personages, events, and documents presented for evaluation, and to acquire through purchase, donation, exchange or otherwise, important historical documents and materials; and to encourage researches in Philippine history and the writing and publication of textbooks on the subject, the research and writing of biographies of heroes, accounts of historical events, translations of important scholarly works of Filipinos and foreigners by providing appropriate or adequate incentives.[5]

### National Historical Institute (1972)

[edit]

In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos' declaration of martial law resulted in a reorganization of government and the renaming of the NHC as the National Historical Institute.

### National Historical Commission of the Philippines (2010)

[edit]

On May 12, 2010, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 10086, or the law reverting the National Historical Institute into its original form as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.[6]

## Current activities

[edit]

The NHCP still undertakes all the functions of the previous commissions, most notably those of preserving historical sites and structures and serving as lead agency for the commemorations of Independence Day and Rizal Day.

* Historical markers issued by the NHCP and its predecessors
* HRMC marker

* PHC marker

* NHI marker

* NHC marker

### List of Chairpersons

[edit]

Emmanuel Franco Calairo and Carminda R. Arevalo (Baliwag)

* Walter J. Robb (October 23, 1933 – January 19, 1947)
* Eulogio Balan Rodriguez (January 20, 1947 – April 3, 1949)
* Encarnacion Alzona (September 1966 – July 1967)[7]
* Carmen Guerrero Nakpil (July 1967 – 1971)
* Esteban A. de Ocampo (1971 – January 1981)
* Serafin D. Quiazon (January 1981[8] – 1997)
* Samuel K. Tan (1997–1999)
* Pablo S. Trillana III (1999 – April 2002)
* Ambeth R. Ocampo (April 2002 – April 7, 2011)
* Maria Serena I. Diokno (April 7, 2011 – November 29, 2016)
* Rene R. Escalante (November 29, 2016 – March 1, 2023)
* Emmanuel Franco Calairo (March 1, 2023 – March 26, 2024)
* Lisa Guerrero-Nakpil (March 26, 2024 – July 12, 2024)
* Regalado T. Jose Jr. (July 12, 2024 – present)

### List of Executive Directors

[edit]

* Danilo S. Manalang (1997 – December 2002)
* Ludovico D. Badoy (December 2002 – February 2020)
* Restituto L. Aguilar (February 2020 – February 22, 2021)
* Carminda R. Arevalo (February 22, 2021 – present)[A]

Notes:

* A Served as Officer in Charge of the Office of the Executive Director of the NHCP from February 22, 2021 to November 11, 2023.

## See also

[edit]

* List of historical markers of the Philippines
* Philippine Historical Association

## Further reading

[edit]

* Rakkan, S. (2018). Prawattisāt niphon Filippin kap chatā kam khō̜ng chāt [Philippine Historiography and the Searching for the Destiny of the Nation]. Bangkok: Illuminations Editions. (in Thai) ISBN 9786169313878

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mission". National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
2. ^ Ocampo, Ambeth (November 11, 2008), "Looking Back: A personal introduction", Philippine Daily Inquirer, archived from the original on February 28, 2009
3. ^ a b Salazar, Dionisio S. (October 1979). "A Brief History of the National Historical Commission" (PDF). The Annals of Philippine Chinese Historical Association (9th): 57–63\. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2023. Retrieved November 21, 2023.57-63&rft.date=1979-10&rft.aulast=Salazar&rft.aufirst=Dionisio+S.&rft_id=https://memory.nhcp.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/The-ANNALS-of-PCA-Ninth-Issue-October-1979.pdf&rfr_id=info:sid/en.wikipedia.org:National+Historical+Commission+of+the+Philippines" class="Z3988">
4. ^ Executive Order No. 91 (January 23, 1937), Creating the Philippines Historical Commmittee, Official Gazette, retrieved November 21, 2023
5. ^ Republic Act No. 4368 (June 19, 1965), An Act to Establish a National Historical Commission, to Define its Powers and Functions, Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds Therefor, and For Other Purposes, Supreme Court E-library, archived from the original on September 2, 2022, retrieved November 21, 2023
6. ^ Republic Act No. 10086 (May 12, 2010), Strengthening Peoples' Nationalism Through Philippine History Act, Supreme Court E-library, retrieved November 21, 2023
7. ^ National Historical Commission (1975). Lectures on Great Filipinos and Others, 1967–1970 (Second ed.). Manila: National Historical Institute. p. 6. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
8. ^ National Historical Institute (1991). The Miagao Church: Historical Landmark. Ermita, Manila: National Historical Institute. p. 58\. ISBN 9715380115. Retrieved July 10, 2019.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to National Historical Commission of the Philippines at Wikimedia Commons
* National Historical Commission of the Philippines
* NHCP's Interactive Registry of Government Seals

* v
* t
* e

Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP)

Government
cultural
agencies|

* Cultural Center of the Philippines
* Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino
* National Archives
* National Commission for Culture and the Arts
* National Historical Commission of the Philippines
* National Library
* National Museum
* Intramuros Administration
* Sentro Rizal

Categories
of cultural
properties|

* UNESCO World Heritage Sites
* National Cultural Treasures
* Important Cultural Properties
* National Historical Landmarks
* National Shrines
* National Monuments
* National Heritage Houses
* Works of National Artists
* Marked Structures
* Other Cultural Properties

Related|

* National Cultural Heritage Act

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* 2
* Israel
* Catalonia

*[HRMC]: Historical Research and Markers Committee
*[PHC]: Philippines Historical Committee
*[NHI]: National Historical Institute
*[NHC]: National Historical Commission
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