Seoul, Republic of Korea – April 18, 2025 — In a significant gathering of heritage professionals from across the region, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) held its Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting in Seoul from April 16 to 18, 2025. With the overarching theme, “Challenges and Collaborative Responses for Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region,” the event served as both a commemoration of the 60th anniversary of ICOMOS and a vital forum to confront the increasingly complex challenges facing cultural heritage in a rapidly changing world.
The meeting brought together delegates from national committees, international organizations, cultural institutions, and academia to engage in knowledge sharing, collaborative planning, and policy dialogue. Against the backdrop of post-pandemic recovery and the intensifying impacts of climate change, the conference emphasized the urgency of creating sustainable, inclusive, and locally rooted approaches to safeguarding heritage across the region.
Representing ICOMOS Philippines were President Dr. Cheek S. Fadriquela, Past President Ms. Tina Paterno, and LAr. Gabriel Caballero. Their presence reinforced the Philippines’ active role in addressing climate-induced risks, promoting community-based heritage management, and advancing transdisciplinary research.
In his panel discussion on “Climate Change + Heritage,” Dr. Fadriquela gave a poignant account of personal and professional encounters with natural disasters in the Philippines. He described a harrowing flight through a super typhoon in Taiwan en route to the ICOMOS Annual General Assembly in Ouru Preto, Brazil, linking his experience to the broader reality of increasingly extreme weather patterns in the Philippines — where six typhoons struck within just two months in 2024, including three categorized as super typhoons. The province of Batanes, renowned for its stone vernacular architecture, was particularly hard-hit. Due to its designation as a protected area, traditional stone-quarrying practices have been banned, forcing communities to build with less resilient materials.
Dr. Fadriquela also outlined ICOMOS Philippines’ growing engagement in Disaster Risk Management (DRM). Following the devastation of Bohol by Typhoon Odette and the earthquake in Vigan in 2022, ICOMOS Philippines mobilized expert teams to assess damages and recommend preservation measures. These actions catalyzed broader institutional developments, including a UNESCO Jakarta grant for post-disaster assessment, participation in DRM training courses at Ritsumeikan University in Japan, and the formal creation of a National Scientific Committee on Risk Preparedness (ICORP) — officially launching on April 30, 2025. During the Seoul meeting, Dr. Zeynep Unal, President of ICORP, Dr.. Teresa Patrício, President of ICOMOS, Dr. Takeyuki Okubo of ICCROM-ITC DMUCH, Dr. Kai Weise, Secretary General of ICORP, and Dr. Alex Yen, Vice President of ICORP extended their congratulatory messages for the said launch
Ms. Paterno contributed to the session on “Climate Change + Heritage,” where she presented the ongoing “Preserving Legacies” project. This initiative conducts vulnerability assessments on cultural sites affected by climate change, particularly focusing on the Ifugao Rice Terraces. A collaborative effort with local communities, the initiative combines traditional ecological knowledge with scientific methods to develop site-specific adaptation strategies. “By learning from the past and empowering local stewards, we can co-create solutions that are both resilient and respectful of cultural identity,” she noted.
LAr. Gabriel Caballero, ICOMOS Philippines’ Focal Point to the Sustainable Development Goals Working Group, delivered a thought-provoking presentation titled “Developing an Approach for a Collaborative Definition of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in the Philippines.” He emphasized the importance of participatory frameworks in determining what is deemed “universal” about heritage, challenging top-down models of inscription and instead advocating for the voices of local and Indigenous communities.
Beyond technical presentations, the meeting served as a platform to strengthen regional collaboration among Asia-Pacific National Committees of ICOMOS. Sessions focused on Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), Disaster Management, Interpretation, and the development of comprehensive heritage management frameworks that are adaptive to climate, political, and socioeconomic changes. Delegates recognized the importance of transboundary cooperation, cross-disciplinary integration, and the institutionalization of Indigenous and community-based knowledge systems.
As countries in the Asia-Pacific region continue to grapple with urbanization, environmental degradation, and climate emergencies, ICOMOS Philippines reiterated its call for holistic approaches to heritage conservation — approaches that acknowledge vulnerability while embracing resilience and innovation. Through continued engagement with international networks and on-the-ground community partners, the organization aims to catalyze enduring impact.