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| The very Heart of the Philippines. Screenshot of Kulas' vlog on 'The real Heart of the Philippines'. The Canadian vlogger, a recent visitor, has fallen in love with Marinduque |
Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco
today said that Marinduque is at the heart of the Philippine Archipelago even
as he pushed for the construction of a monument to mark that spot in the
Philippine map.
Called the “Luzon Datum,” Velasco
called on his colleagues to formally recognize the findings of the National
Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR), the Provincial Government of Marinduque and the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), declaring the
national significance of Datum Station Balanacan or the Luzon Datum as a
historical landmark to mark the “Heart of the Philippines.”
Marinduque lawmaker explained that the
landmark is the primary geodetic reference or origin of all geological surveys
in the Philippines which means all maps and surveys made in the country use the
Luzon Datum as a reference point.
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| This photo from Inquirer |
Also called the “Luzon Datum of 1911,”
the monument should signify that it is the geographical center of the Philippine
archipelago.
Marinduque, dubbed as the “Heart of
the Philippines”, is a heart-shaped island in the Southern Tagalog Region.
Coincidentally, the island is also the geographical center of the archipelago
and a stone marker marks its significance in Philippine geography.
Velasco said a marker has been fixed
in what is known as the Luzon Datum of 1911 or Station Balanacan. This piece of
stone marker is located on top of a hill that locals call Mataas na Bundok or
Mt. Mataas in Barangay Hinanggayon, town of Mogpog.
In other countries, their geographic
centers have become tourist attractions due to their creative initiative to
build large stone monuments in these centers. Examples of these countries are
Japan, India, Taiwan, Australia and the United States of America.
Velasco said the current global trend
is to set up monuments in their respective geographic centers.
“It is high time we convert the Luzon
Datum of 1911 into a modern-day tourist spot,” Velasco said.
In his House Bill No 1075, Velasco said
that the development of a large stone monument in the Luzon Datum is feasible
and beneficial, as it will help this country’s tourism and will also identify
that the Luzon Datum is a significant geographical point in the Philippine
archipelago.
