Overview
When the Intramuros Administration was created in 1979, the restoration, general direction, and grand narrative of the Walled City leaned toward its mandated status as a “monument to the Hispanic period of Philippine history.” But beyond Intramuros’ Hispanic character lies relevance which transcends centuries and regimes. Join us as we rethink Intramuros’ significance in the birth and development of our modern Filipino nation.
- Guest speaker: Fernando Zialcita, Ph.D.
- Moderator: Rancho Arcilla
About the Speaker: Fernando Zialcita, Ph.D.
Prof. Dr. Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita has a M.A. in Philosophy from the Ateneo de Manila University, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Hawaii. •
He is presently a Professor Emeritus at the Ateneo de Manila University, and head of the university’s Cultural Heritage Program.
Though from Manila, much of his field research took place among farming communites in the Ilocos, Northern Luzon. Lately, however, he has shifted his focus to street research because of his interest in urban heritage and regeneration. Some of his books are: Philippine Ancestral Houses, Authentic Though not Exotic: Essays on Filipino Identity, and Quiapo Heart of Manila.
About the moderator: Rancho Arcilla
John Paul Escandor Arcilla, known professionally as Rancho Arcilla, is the author of the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021). He served as Chairperson of the Intramuros Technical Committee on Architectural Standards (TCAS) from June 2022 to May 2024. As TCAS Chairperson, Arcilla oversaw the review of all development, including new constructions, in the Walled City.
Arcilla was also the first Archivist of the Intramuros Administration. With a mandate from Atty. Guiller Asido, Administrator of Intramuros from 2017 to 2022, Arcilla established the Administration’s Archives and Central Records Section, serving as its first Section Head from July 2019 to June 2024.
He has an MA in Philippine Studies from UP Diliman and a BA in Asian Studies from the University of Santo Tomas. Arcilla specializes on colonial architecture.
In 2021, Arcilla was instrumental in the development of the Revised 2021 Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Presidential Decree No. 1616, the main framework and legal instrument in the management of Intramuros District. The architectural provisions of the IRR and the Intramuros Register of Styles (2021) is based on his MA thesis Walls within Walls: The Architecture of Intramuros (2021).
About the Intramuros Learning Sessions
The Intramuros Learning Sessions (ILS) is the educational lecture series of the Intramuros Administration (IA). The IA is an attached national government agency under the Department of Tourism.
Topics are interdisciplinary and cover themes related to Intramuros and Manila studies, Philippine studies, as well as cultural heritage studies. Pursuant to IA’s charter, the ILS aims to contribute to the strengthening of the Filipino’s national identity and sense of belonging and pride.
| See Previous ILS Episode Stone of Philippine DNA: Uncovering the Genome of Intramuros | See Next ILS Episode Symbols of a Glorious Past: A Look at the Old Monuments of Intramuros |
Check out our previous ILS episodes here
For more information contact the Center for Intramuros Studies via [email protected]
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