Brief background

Cagayan is undoubtedly one of the richest archaeological sites in the Philippines. Excavations by the National Museum and field research by the Cagayan Museum have yielded vast archeological findings.

Findings include artifacts dating back to: the Paleolithic Age; the Neolithic Age, otherwise known as the Stone Age. The time when Man first discovered fire, yielded stone tools and the started to produce his own food through domestication of plants and animals.

Iron Age which covers the transition from 2000 B.C. to 1000 A.D. Culture has progressed to a point where there is already knowledge of smelting and forging iron, the use of more advanced agricultural techniques, and weaving.

Cagayan Valley, like many other provinces in the Philippines, was never isolated from foreign influence as was earlier believed. It was once a part of the long prehistoric international trade with neighboring countries.

The Historic Age likewise chronicled the date when Juan Salcedo visited the valley. Such discoveries give a diachronic view of the technological and cultural evolution of  Cagayan.

Archaeological excavations undertaken in Solana and vicinities resulted in the discovery of more than 68 Paleolithic sites in the Awidon Mesa formation. 

These sites yielded stone tools and fossils of extinct animals that include stegodons, elephants, rhinoceros, and large tortoise.  The sites tended to confirm previous reports by prominent paleontologists and archaeologists from Europe that both Pleistocene mega-fauna fossils and chopper-chopping stone tools were present in the valley, suggesting mid-Pleistocene date for tool technology in the area at the earliest and later periods.

In order to protect the area for the present and future generations of Filipinos, Presidential Decree No. 1109 was passed.

"Declaring the Archaeological areas in the Cagayan Valley

and Kalinga Apayao Archaeological Reservation"

DECLARING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREAS IN CAGAYAN VALLEY AND KALINGA-APAYAO

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESERVATION

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1109

WHEREAS, in the writing of the Philippines prehistory excavated cultural artifacts are the only tangible evidence;

WHEREAS, preliminary findings indicate that Cagayan Valley and Kalinga-Apayao could have been the habitation of the oldest human being in the Philippines;

WHEREAS, cultural items are being illegally taken out of said Valley and Province and sold to collectors resulting in the destruction of the historical and cultural evidences they represent; and

WHEREAS, it is necessary that the areas in Cagayan Valley and Kalinga-Apayao where important cultural items would be recovered be preserved and maintained as site museum in line with Presidential Decree No. 374.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree:

Section 1. The archaeological areas in Cagayan Valley and Kalinga-Apayao delineated by the excavation of the National Museum are hereby declared Archaeological Reservations.

Sec. 2. All excavation in the Reservation shall be under the control and supervision of the National Museum.

Sec. 3. Anyone caught exploring, excavating or found to be in possession of excavated cultural items without proper permits from the National Museum shall be considered to have violated this Decree and shall be subject to the penal provisions of the Presidential Decree No. 374.

March 28, 1977

Section 20 of P.D. 374Penal Provisions. Any violation of the provisions of this Act

shall, upon conviction, subject the offender to a fine of not more than ten thousand pesos or imprisonment for a term of not more than two years or both upon the discretion of the court: Provided, that objects or materials attempted to be concealed from registration or those intended to be exported or excavated in violation of this Act shall be summarily confiscated and forfeited to the National Museum: Provided, further, that if the violation is committed by a juridical person, the manager, representative, director, agent, or employee of said juridical person responsible for the act shall also be liable to the penalties provided herein."

ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL HISTORICAL COMMISSION, TO DEFINE ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS, AUTHORIZING

THE APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 4368

The National Historical Commission is composed of:

1 Chairman 4 regular members two ex-officio members

› the Director of Public Libraries and the Director of the National Museum.

› To be appointed by the President upon the approval of the Commission on Appointments.

No one shall be appointed to any of these positions unless he be a citizen of the Philippines, at least thirty years old, at least a holder of a four-year college degree, and has distinguished himself in historical research and writing.

Sec. 6.    The Philippine Historical Committee and the existing National Heroes Commission are hereby abolished and their functions shall be performed by the National Historical Commission. All personnel, documents, materials, equipment, and unexpected balances belonging to those agencies are hereby transferred to the National Historical Commission.

Duty of the National Historical Commission (Sec. 4)

(a)    To publish or cause to have written or published the works of our national heroes and other great and good Filipinos;

(b)    To compile from various sources here and abroad data on Philippine history and prepare and publish there from source books on Philippine history;

(c)    For the purpose stated in subparagraph (a) and (b), to enter into negotiations or agreements, subject to the approval of the Secretary of Education, with institutions of learning, learned societies and individuals for the purpose of securing original documents of copies, photostat and microfilms thereof, dealing with the Philippines: provided, that any acquisition involved in excess of fifty thousand pesos shall be with the approval of the President of the Philippines;

(d)    To gather and publish source books, reports, records and other valuable information relating to historic places, markets and events;

(e)     To identify, designate and appropriately mark historic places in the Philippines and to cause the construction or reconstruction and to maintain and care for national monuments, shrines and historic markets that have been or may hereafter be erected in pursuance of this Act: provided, however, that the Commission shall enlist the assistance of the public;

(f)    To take charge of all historical activities or projects, not otherwise undertaken by any entity of the government;

(g)    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;

(h)    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, translation of important scholarly works of Filipino and foreigners by providing appropriate or adequate incentives, setting aside, for this purpose, such portions of its appropriation as the Commission may deem necessary; and

(i)    To work in coordination with the Institute of National Language for the translation of its works and materials to the National Language.

Section 7

To carry out the objectives of this Act the Department of Education is hereby empowered to designate existing agencies to implement the policies adopted and activities programmed by the National Historical Commission as stated in Section two hereof.

Section 8

The Commission, upon the recommendation of the Chairman, shall appoint such personnel as may be deemed necessary; shall fix their compensation; prescribe their duties; and establish such methods and procedures as may ensure the efficient, honest and economical administration of the provisions and purpose of this Act.

June 19, 1965

The National Historical Commission of the Philippines, as an arm in the culture and development agenda of the government, envisions:

              " A Filipino society with citizens informed of their history, who love their country and proud of their  cultural heritage."

Its mission is the promotion of Philippine history and cultural heritage through research, dissemination, conservation, sites management and heraldry works.  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 race and to rekindle the Filipino spirit through the lessons of history.

The NHCP is mandated to undertake research and publication of Philippine historical works; educational activities on historical events and personages; restoration, preservation and conservation of movable and immovable objects of historical value and implementation of the National Historic Act of the Philippines (PD 260 and PD 1505); administration of historic sites, structures and memorabilia of national heroes; and blazoning of government symbols and implementation of Republic Act 8491 or “The Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines.”