NCCA issues COC for Bacolod chicken inasal registration

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – Excited much?

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has issued the City of Bacolod a Certificate of Compliance (COC) for the registration of Chicken Inasal as cultural property of this city.

This clarification was made by City Tourism Officer Ma. Teresa Manalili yesterday, following the initial announcement of the NCCA’s recognition of chicken inasal as a cultural property during the opening of the three-day Bacolod Chicken Inasal Festival last Friday.

Manalili stated that the NCCA reached out to their office after receiving reactions to their earlier announcement, which was published in some news websites.

In a phone interview, Manalili explained that registration and declaration are two different processes.

“Registration of cultural property is done by the Philippine Registry of Heritage, while declaration is done by various cultural agencies,” she said, quoting a text from the NCCA.

Manalili clarified that the email mentioned from the NCCA was not a declaration but a congratulatory note for Bacolod being a recipient of a COC for Calendar Year (CY) 2023.

This is related to the Local Cultural Inventory (LCI) submitted by the city for CY 2023 on December 15, 2023, in compliance with Article V of Republic Act (RA) No. 11961, amending RA 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

The NCCA reiterated in a text message that the COC is for compliance with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-NCCA Joint Memorandum Circular 2021-001.

The circular pertains to the “Amended Guidelines on the Standardized Submission of Local Cultural Inventory under the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property for the Issuance of Certificate of Compliance to Local Government Units.”

Manalili added that they will seek the NCCA’s guidance to determine the next steps. “We need to be guided so we’ll know what to do,” she said.

Despite the need for clarification, Manalili emphasized that this development positively impacts the city, known for its chicken inasal.

In 2022, the City Council approved an ordinance authored by Councilor Em Ang, chairperson of the Committee on History, Culture, and Arts, declaring Chicken Inasal as an “Important Cultural Property” (ICP) under the “Chicken Inasal Cultural Property Rights Ordinance.”

Manalili mentioned that the city will hold a press briefing soon to provide further clarifications on the matter.