BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong officially awarded Palafox Associates the contract, valued at P13,900,880, for the detailed engineering study and conservation management plan of the Dominican Hill Heritage Site.
Architect Felino A. Palafox, Jr., the renowned principal architect, urban planner, and founder of the consultancy firm, signed the agreement on January 31, 2024.
This initiative stems from an agreement between the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the national government in 2022, allocating a P15 million fund for the redevelopment plan of the Dominican Hill Heritage Site.
Palafox Associates, the selected bidder, is tasked with completing the plan within six months upon receiving the Notice to Proceed.
The project’s objectives encompass detailed cultural mapping, building and landscape assessment, architectural and landscape conservation plans, structural retrofitting design, and various infrastructure plans, alongside policy recommendations.
Collaborating closely with the NCCA, the city government aims to preserve the century-old retreat center and transform it into a Creative Hub.
This endeavor aligns with Baguio’s aspiration to establish itself as a creative city, in line with its membership in the global creative cities network recognized by the United Nations.
Originally constructed by the Dominicans in 1915 as a school, the Dominican Retreat Center later served as a hotel in the 1980s before being acquired by the city in 2004.
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