A larger portion of district was previously declared a histo-cultural heritage/overlay zone by the city government of Manila in 2011.

Among the heritage structures in the zone is the Lichauco Heritage House, a residential building that was declared a heritage house by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines on July 10, 2010,[1][2] and the Santa Ana Church, which houses two National Cultural Treasures declared by the National Museum of the Philippines: the Camarín de la Virgen, a chapel room located behind the church altar which contains the oldest dateable oil paintings in the country,[3] and the Santa Ana Site Museum,[4] which contains archaeological objects discovered by excavations conducted by the National Museum in 1966.

01, S. 2014, which declared a smaller portion of Santa Ana a heritage zone, under the provisions of Republic Act No.

[3] Among the many reasons mentioned by the NHCP in support of its declaration is the historicity of the area as the site where Lakantagkan ruled, the location of Panday Pira's foundry for cannon-making, the Santa Ana Church, and various other structures, including Jesuit retreat houses, a Taoist temple, and a sacred well.

[3] In 2013, a real estate developer started excavation works for the construction of a residential condominium tower within the histo-cultural heritage/overlay zone.