Silliman unveils marker signifying its status as national historical landmark

DUMAGUETE CITY – The National Historical Commission (NHCP) led by its chair, Dr. Rene Escalante and Silliman University (SU) with its president Dr. Betty Cernol McCann unveiled and inaugurated a marker on September 23 at the Leopoldo T. Ruiz Administration Hall grounds signifying the status of Silliman University as a national historical landmark.

Escalante said, Silliman University as a national historical landmark is classified under Level I, the highest recognition level from the NHCP, having both an official declaration and marker from the NHCP.

SU has been a national historical landmark since June 19, 2002 when the NHCP recognized SU’s historical significance through Resolution No. 7, S. 2002 and now a marker acknowledging national historical landmark status.

Dr. Betty Cernol McCann, SU president expressed gratitude for the NHCP recognition and for Escalante’s presence during the inauguration ceremony of the new marker in front of the members of the SU Board of Trustees, administration officials, deans, and office heads who also attended the ceremony.

Dr. Earl Jude Paul Cleope, SU vice president for academic affairs and a commissioner of the NHCP said, Escalante initiated the installation of a historical marker he visited the SU campus before the pandemic and saw that the marker installed at the Administration Hall grounds needed to be replaced.

Cleope added that the previous marker, which he called an “institutional marker,” described a short history of SU but did not mention SU’s status. The previous marker is now at Silliman Hall, on a wall between the entrance to the main function hall of the first floor and the stairs going to the second floor.

NHCP’s guidelines reads, a national historical landmark is a “site or structure closely associated with a significant historical event, achievement, characteristic, turning point, or stage in Philippine history, or a structure made or created by a national hero.”

 

Part of NHCP’s mandate is to protect recognized historic sites and structures. The declaration made by NHCP recognizing SU in 2002, Cleope said was instrumental in protecting the campus from the threat of a reclamation project proposed by the Philippine Ports Authority during that time.

The 2002 declaration recognizes SU as the first American private school in the Philippines and a witness and participant to the unfolding Philippine history since the advent of American occupation to the present day, that has contributed to the educational, religious and social development of Negros Oriental and the Philippines.

The declaration also recognizes buildings in SU that exemplify Philippine architecture in its various development stages during the American colonial period, and stand out today as notable representatives of vintage American period or pre-war architecture, namely: Silliman Hall built 1903; Katipunan Hall in 1915; Science Building in 1917; Guy Hall in 1918; Oriental Hall in 1921; the Amphitheater in 1921; Channon Hall in 1923; the old Library in 1927; Hibbard Hall in 1932; Scheide Chapel in 1937 and the Davao Cottage. (Photos: SU-Office of Information Publications/FB)