CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — A heritage group dedicated to the Philippine Scouts has issued an urgent appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to halt the commercial conversion of a 121-year-old barn house within the Clark Freeport Zone.
The structure, known as Barn House No. 2080, is a significant historical landmark that heritage advocates argue is being “desecrated” by plans to turn it into a restaurant.
Historical Significance:
- Military History: The house once served as the official residence of the commander of the 26th US Cavalry Regiment, a unit largely comprised of Filipino soldiers known as the Philippine Scouts.
- Timeline: The regiment was based at Fort Stotsenburg (which later became Clark Air Base) from 1922 to 1951. The barn house itself dates back to approximately 1900.
- Location: It is situated along Rufino Cardinal Santos Avenue, formerly known as Officers’ Lane.
The Conflict:
- The Proposal: Guy Hilbero, executive officer of the 26th US Cavalry Philippine Scouts Memorial Regiment, has lobbied the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) since 2024 to convert the house into a museum lounge to honor the Scouts’ World War II service.
- The CDC Position: The CDC maintains that the building has already been committed to a commercial proponent as part of a broader plan to develop the area into a commercial district. They point out that the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) approved the “adaptive reuse” of these old barn houses back in 2019.
- Commercialization: Hilbero notes that most of the historic barn houses on Officers’ Lane have already been converted into commercial establishments, and he is seeking a “reversal” of this trend for House No. 2080.
Status of the Appeal:
Having failed to get a favorable response from the CDC or the NHCP, the group has elevated the matter to Malacañang, hoping for presidential intervention to preserve the structure as a cultural landmark rather than a commercial space.