USTGS-CCCPET conducts Heritage Impact Assessment on DOTR’s North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCRP)

The University of Santo Tomas Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET) began the Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTR) North-South Commuter Railway Project (NSCRP) on the significant structures and townscapes along the historic route. Formally launched last October 18, 2021, the six-month project covers the series of 85 stations and structures along a 100-kilometer segment of the Philippine National Railway (PNR). In the north, the segment starts from the Casitas in Solis St., Tondo to Angeles City Station while in the south, it begins from Paco Station to Calamba station. The project intends to define the significance of the railway- as a route of transportation, as an ensemble of stations and as a collection of structures and to assess the dramatic impact of the new NSCRP to the cultural landscape. The DOTR contracted GCR Consortium which engaged the USTGS-CCCPET experts because of the commendable track record of the Center in the World Bank-Department of Tourism (DOT) Vulnerability Project for the Earthquake Structures of Bohol and the San Pablo Heritage Zone Infrastructure Guidelines Project in Laguna.

Assoc. Prof. Eric Babar Zerrudo, PhD, Director of the UST GS CCCPET, serves as the Project Director assisted by Ms. Beverly Bautista as Project Coordinator. The Historical-Technical Team is composed of Prof. Regalado Trota Jose (UST Archives), Mr. Jefferson Chua (Greenpeace-Philippines), Mr. Jowee Alviar (Team Manila) and Mr. Wilson Yu (FEU). Dr. Caryn Paredes-Santillan (UST College of Architecture) serves as Team Leader of the Architecture Team with Mr. Joselito Corpus (Heritage Preservation Specialist), Archt. Theo Residilla (UST) and Archt. Clemence Pinlac (UST College of Architecture). Dr Cheek Fadriquela (UST-GSCHS) serves as Team Leader of Material and Structural Team with Dr Lessandro Garciano (De La Salle University) and Ms Rona Catherine Repancol (USTGS-CHS). The Socio-Cultural team are all graduates of UST Graduate School Cultural Heritage Studies lead by Mr. Jame Monren Mercado (UST-CTHM) with Mr. Edgar Allan Sembrano (Philippine Daily Inquirer Contributor), Ms. April Dopeno (Far Eastern University) and Mr. John Christopher Mesana (Colegio de San Juan de Letran).