National Historical Institute Resolution No. 10, S. 2009

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines provides that “The State shall promote and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources;”

WHEREAS, Presidential Decree No. 260 dated August 1, 1973 vested the National Historical Institute with the power to declare sites and structures as national historical landmarks, shrines, monuments, historical sites and heritage houses;

WHEREAS, the Mercado Mansion was completed in 1906 by Carcar Mayor Mariano Mercado, who was also responsible for the construction of important heritage structures in the town such as Carcar Rotunda, Municipal Dispensary and Municipal Swimming Pool from 1931-1937;

WHEREAS, the house served as venue in 1931 to the visit of Key Pittman, the US Senate Foreign Relations Chair to whom Mayor Mercado appealed to intercede for the granting of Philippine Independence;

WHEREAS, the ancestral house is a fine example of architecture during the American period displaying ornate designs as testimony to the artistry and ingenuity of its builders;

WHEREAS, the house also serves as mute witness to the socio-cultural life and historical milestones of Carcar from the early American period to present;

NOW, THEREFORE, the National Historical Institute, by virtue of the powers vested in it by Presidential Decree No. 260, hereby declares the Mercado Mansion on Jose Rizal Street, Carcar, Cebu a Heritage House.

Approved: September 4, 2009