This Ifugao-led study is a climate vulnerability assessment of the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The assessment establishes why local communities value the terraces, and how these values, deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge, are impacted by climate change. The end goal is for communities to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity as they position to preserve and protect their cultural heritage.
Data was gathered by several focus group discussions among farmers in Nagacadan Hungduan, Mayoyao, Bangaan and Batad. This approach ensures the collection of critical data that truly reflects the lived experiences and needs of the indigenous Ifugao people. The assessment utilizes modern climate science and indigenous knowledge, as both realms of understanding are complementary and necessary to address the climate crisis more effectively.
The Ifugao Rice Terraces confront a web of climate challenges such as intensified typhoons, erratic precipitation patterns, prolonged droughts and increasing temperatures, which pose imminent risk of soil erosion, reduced crop yield or crop loss, landslides, and structural damage to the terraces. This threatens their ecological integrity, agricultural productivity, amplifies existing vulnerabilities, and can jeopardize the sustainability of this cultural landscape.
On June 27, 2024, the Institute of Disaster Mitigation for Urban Cultural Heritage of Ritsumeikan University (R-DMUCH) represented by Director Dr. Shinta Yoshitomi and UNESCO Co-Chair holder on the Program of Cultural Heritage and Risk Management Associate Professor Dr. Dowon Kim and the International Council of Monuments and Site Philippines, Inc. [ICOMOS Philippines] represented by its Chairman and President Dr. Cheek S. Fadriquela and Vice President Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua entered into and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
ICOMOS Philippines President Cheek Fadriquela shares his gratitude to R-DMUCH in his speech: “With this Memorandum of Understanding, we are addressing the paucity of DRM related personnel in cultural heritage who will craft plans of actions before, during and after disaster events in the Philippines. In partnership with Ritsumeikan, I believe our aspirations will come into fruition in protecting our shared legacies.”
This MOU establishes key goals for the partnerships, particularly in the promotion, conservation, and protection of culture and heritage in the Philippines. In this vein, R-DMUCH and ICOMOS Philippines will cooperate in research and investigation as partner organizations and for educational activities and specialized professional programs on the conservation, disaster prevention, and risk management of cultural heritage. To broadcast this knowledge, the MOU allows two (2) representatives to participate in the International Training Course on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage [ITC].
One major output from participation in the ITC will be the establishment of a National Training Course on Disaster Risk Management of Cultural Heritage (DRMCH) in the Republic of the Philippines which will be under the partnership of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and ICOMOS Philippines; both will implement a capacity building program to aid stakeholders in formulating their own disaster risk management plans.
R-DMUCH and ICOMOS Philippines sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the “Collaboration on human resource capacity building for the implementation of a national training course on disaster risk management of cultural heritage in the Republic of the Philippines”
Knowledge sharing is key in this partnership and will help refine disaster risk management of cultural heritage plans to the context of the Philippines with its own set of hazards and vulnerabilities. Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, who successfully participated in the 2023 cohort of ITC and developed a Heritage Disaster Risk Management (HDRM) plan for the World Heritage Site in the Historic City of Vigan, said: “This kind of capacity building is long overdue for us Philippine Heritage Professionals and Conservationists.”
Dr. Dowon Kim added to Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua’s comment stating “R-DMUCH will support the institutionalization of the DRMCH plan in the Philippines as R-DMUCH has been active in assisting other Southeast Asian nations, India and Nepal among others with their own National Disaster Risk Management Plans.” These countries already had sent their representatives to participate in the ITC in previous years.
Both Director Dr. Shinta Yoshitomi and Dr. Cheek S. Fadriquela closed the MOU signing ceremony with appreciation and gratitude that ICOMOS Philippines and R-DMUCH will strengthen the network between the two organizations and expressed appreciation and gratitude for future fruitful collaboration.
For the Philippines, this MOU represents the ongoing endeavor to elevate cultural heritage as an essential community resource and to adopt the attention that it deserves during times of disasters and crisis. Since cultural heritage resources are especially susceptible to the changing climate and its itinerant hazards, the implementation of a DRMCH plan will help mitigate the loss and disruption of our precious cultural heritage resources for now and for future generations.
Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in our Virtual Live Event for the Climate Change Vulnerability Risk Assessment of the Ifugao Rice Terraces, Philippines.
We are so excited to invite you to the report launch. We’re opening a ten day countdown registration form for our live virtual event, to present findings of the year long study Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras on June 27, 5:00 PM Philippine time, GMT + 8.
How can heritage sites contribute to a sustainable climate future? Join us as we explore Ifugao traditions in the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and uncover their invaluable lessons on adapting to and mitigating climate change. Discover the synergy between indigenous knowledge and climate science and learn how ancient practices can inform modern strategies for resilience and sustainability. Don’t miss this enlightening presentation on climate vulnerability assessment—where the past guides us towards a sustainable future. This project is a collaboration between National Geographic Society, ICOMOS, and Preserving Legacies.
This Ifugao-led study is a climate vulnerability assessment of the rice terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The assessment establishes why local communities value the terraces, and how these values, deeply rooted in indigenous knowledge, are impacted by climate change. The end goal is for communities to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity as they position to preserve and protect their cultural heritage.
Data was gathered by several focus group discussions among farmers in Nagacadan Hungduan, Mayoyao, Bangaan and Batad. This approach ensures the collection of critical data that truly reflects the lived experiences and needs of the indigenous Ifugao people. The assessment utilizes modern climate science and indigenous knowledge, as both realms of understanding are complementary and necessary to address the climate crisis more effectively.
The Ifugao Rice Terraces confront a web of climate challenges such as intensified typhoons, erratic precipitation patterns, prolonged droughts and increasing temperatures, which pose imminent risk of soil erosion, reduced crop yield or crop loss, landslides, and structural damage to the terraces. This threatens their ecological integrity, agricultural productivity, amplifies existing vulnerabilities, and can jeopardize the sustainability of this cultural landscape.
Fortunately, their traditional values and indigenous knowledge systems make them moderately resilient. However, they will need additional support from government to develop infrastructure, and develop technical capacities to build more robust adaptive strategies and sustainable management practices to preserve ecological resilience and secure the livelihoods of the communities that call the terraces home.
Last March 2024, marked the third quarter of the implementation of the first Heritage Emergency Fund [HEF] granted to the Republic of the Philippines by UNESCO.
UNESCO Jakarta under the leadership of Moe Chiba, Culture Unit Head, and Rizky Fardhyan, Project Coordinator, visited Vigan City to observe and support the activities spurred by the HEF. Their visit coincided with events around Vigan from the 11th to 13th of March, and they witnessed major milestones achieved by expert team, visiting and local students and professors, and the stakeholders of Vigan.
One activity was the HEF capacity-building training program whose audience were the homeowner’s, custodians, contractors, technicians, tradespersons and other concerned stakeholders of the WHS Historic City of Vigan. Not only were they given lectures about Vigan specific topics, but they were also involved in a hands-on workshop to try their hand at mixing lime mortar and also attempting traditional joinery.
Another highlight were the activities at Tadena Hall at University of Northern Philippines where Hong Kong University and University of the Northern students presented their documentation of fifteen priority ancestral vernacular houses that they completed in about a week with the aide of digital documentation.
Lastly, there was Town Hall Meeting where homeowners and local stakeholders had an open forum to discuss the challenges of recovery and also how to move forward as a community sustainably and effectively.
This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country Project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
Maintaining the status of a World Heritage Site is a daunting task in an environment where earthquakes, typhoons and fire are frequent occurrences. Those sites that are inscribed are the responsibility of the stakeholders to uphold the site’s exceptional value, authenticity and integrity. Having local stakeholders involved promotes a sense of ownership, a pride of place and a closer-knit community. These values and more are what sustains the World Heritage Site and ensures their existence in the future.
UNESCO Jakarta paid a courtesy call visit from December 10 – 12, 2023 to the Historic City of Vigan – Vigan City PH. Director Ms. Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa and Mr. Rizky Fardhyan were able to tour the heritage core of the city to note the extent of damage from the earthquake of 2022. They paid a visit to the Mayor Jose “Bonito” C. Singson, Jr., a focal person and key stakeholder, to introduce themselves and to clarify any points about the purposes of the present restoration efforts. The visit was of the utmost importance for UNESCO Jakarta so that they could observe Vigan’s stakeholder involvement and their cooperation in all the activities as well, since it is through the work of the local stakeholders that the Historic City of Vigan will be ultimately restored.
Working together, the local government unit of Vigan and its stakeholders, UNESCO Jakarta, ICOMOS Philippines want to ensure the continual revitalization of the Historic City of Vigan so that any endeavors will sustain the town’s exceptional authenticity and significance as a World Heritage Site.
Please see the article in the Philippine Star Lifestyle and Arts section. Read here https://bitly.ws/3eIWS , you may also check in ICOMOS PH’s website here https://bitly.ws/3eIYa.
This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the United Kingdom, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country Project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
On Saturday 16 October 2023, ICOMOS Philippines celebrated their annual Thanksgiving get-together to end the year and to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
ICOMOS Philippines Celebrates Its 35th Year Anniversary at ICOMOS Headquarters in Intramuros
One highlight of the celebration was the granting of the Philippine National Committee’s lifetime honorary membership to Regalado “Ricky” Trota José who had started ICOMOS Philippines in the late 1980s. Sir Ricky, as he’s also affectionately known, reminded ICOMOS that rewards or accolades are not what heritage is about; in fact, the practice of heritage is a reward in itself and is a privilege.
The lifetime honorary membership was given to by virtue of ICOMOS Philippines Board Resolution No. 5 approved on March 31, 2023 wherein the organization recognizes his accomplishments and contributions which included: being the founding president of ICOMOS Philippines; his contributions leading to the inscription of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines on the UNESCO World Heritage List; his works in elevating local church cultural heritage protection and conservation towards international standards in harmony with the local context, and for being an inspiration and mentor among members of the organization.
José recalled the initial membership of ICOMOS Philippines. He said it was a very small number, an amount you could count on one’s fingers. But it was this powerhouse of heritage pioneers who advocated for awareness and sensitivity for our cultural heritage resources. Within the first two decades along with Rachy Cuna, Ramon Faustmann, Milagros Covarrubias Jamir, and Rene Javellana, S.J., ICOMOS Philippines was pivotal in the inscription of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, the Ifugao Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, and the Historic City of Vigan.
Awarding of Recognition: Former (and Current) Board of Trustees Members
Also a report was presented for the last six months of work at ICOMOS Philippines which included, among others, the funding of Vigan with the Heritage Emergency Fund, the award of Gawad Maestro for being an exemplary NGO as a learning and development institution, the participation with the Creative Industries Group of DTI, a seminar on Built Heritage and FIRE, and reports from the the General Assembly in Sydney this year.
Cheek Fadriquela, president of ICOMOS graciously stated: “A million thanks to all who attended our Thanksgiving party last Saturday. It was an event 35 years in the making! Our heartfelt gratitude to former trustees for gracing the occasion with your presence. Special thanks to Lila Shahani and Tracey Santiago for the books they donated to our library. And to our gracious host, Mylene Lising, we are immensely grateful with your kindness and generosity for not only allowing your Consulate to be the venue but also for making your staff assist and stay throughout the event. Kudos to all who made this event a memorable one! May you all have a Merry and Blessed Christmas!”
Invitation and Graphic of Surveying the Ifugao Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras for Nomination
23 – 24 October and 1 – 4 November 2023, City of Vigan, Philippines – Thanks to the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), the project “Post-Earthquake Damage Assessment of Vernacular Buildings in the World Heritage City of Vigan” was launched by UNESCO Jakarta in partnership with ICOMOS Philippines. Several activities have started in the Historic City of Vigan. The Materials Conservation Team led by Dr. Cheek S. Fadriquela, and the laser scanning documentation team headed by Mr. Conrad Alampay from Digiscript are documented the two ancestral houses, Syquia Mansion and the Cabildo Old House.
The Materials Conservation Expert Team led by ICOMOS Philippines’ President Dr. Cheek Fadriquela collected samples for testing the material composition, and did an onsite XRF test on masonry materials, paint, metals and glass structural materials at Syquia Mansion.
The Material Conservation team members gathered samples and tested the material composition of the original masonry materials; bricks, mortar and plaster in aid of finding compatible materials for restoration and addressing the gap in historic brick masonry materials research in the Philippines.
Mr. Conrad Alampay, President of Digiscript, is leading the training information sessions with some of the local stakeholders of Vigan
Digiscript, on the other hand, worked on the structures’ digital documentation via 3D laser scanning to generate an accurate set of as-built drawings for analysis. Digiscript also provided training session to 11 local stakeholders from UNP, LGU Vigan and UAP-ICF to maximize the visit and for capacity building. Both are important heritage conservation practices for future building restorations.
A surveyor of Digiscript using LEICA RTC360 scanning for the 3D documentation of the ancestral houses around the pilot site of Syquia Mansion.Digiscript team did a laser scanning of the ceiling of Syquia Mansion.Digiscript snapped a group photo with the successful participants of the laser scanning training information sessions. The following stakeholders are from the Local Government Unit of Vigan City, faculty of the University of Northern Philippines and local architects from United Architects of the Philippines – Ilocos Ciudad Fernandina (ICD) chapter.
This activity is supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
UN Climate Change conferences (or COPs) take place every year, and are the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world. Officially, COP 28 stands for the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC.
The Republic of the Philippines is a member state and is attending the COP 28; the Philippines will present in a side event under the topic Culture Heritage, Art and Creative Industries, “Ancestral Wisdom Driving Low Carbon Climate Resilient Futures: Asia-Pacific and Global Lessons” on Saturday, December 9, 2023, 16:45 to 18:15. This side event is supported by the Climate Heritage Network, American Anthropological Association, ICOMOS, Petra National Trust, Julie’s Bicycle, Union of Concerned Scientists, and SEACHA. The speakers include Marlon Martin of ICOMOS Philippines, COO of Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement, Inc. and Preserving Legacies.
One of the supporters of the side event, the Climate Heritage Network is committed to tackling climate change and achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. The Climate Heritage Network acknowledges that “culture is at the heart of climate action” and that “cultural heritage, including traditional knowledge, strengthens resilience, helps communities to adapt to climate impacts, protects places, and offers green, circular and regenerative solutions. The arts speak to hearts and minds, inspiring action and helping us to understand climate change through storytelling and shared experiences. The creative industries – design, music, fashion and film – shape our lifestyles, tastes and consumption patterns.”
Artists and cultural voices from across the world are uniting to call for climate negotiators at COP UN Climate Conference to put cultural heritage, arts and creative industries at the heart of climate action.
Approximately 70,000 delegates are attending COP28, including the member states (or Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants.
The major focus of the conference includes the conclusion of the first-ever global stocktake at the end of this year which takes place every five years. The global stocktake is a process for countries and stakeholders to see where they’re collectively making progress towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement – and where they’re not. It’s like taking inventory. It means looking at everything related to where the world stands on climate action and support, identifying the gaps, and working together to agree on solutions pathways (to 2030 and beyond).
The overarching goal of the Paris Agreement is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”
The science from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 at the latest and decline 43% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Crossing the 1.5°C threshold risks unleashing far more severe climate change impacts, the IPCC warns.
The globe is not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The window for meaningful change is closing, and the time to act is now. Governments will take a decision on the global stocktake at COP28, which can be leveraged to accelerate ambition in their next round of climate action plans due in 2025. By evaluating where the world stands when it comes to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement and using its inputs, the stocktake can help policymakers and stakeholders strengthen their climate policies and commitments in their next round of NDCs, paving the way for accelerated action.
In this sense, it’s not the stocktake itself that is the gamechanger – it’s the global response, the response by countries as Parties to the Paris Agreement, that will make the difference in the form of higher ambition and accelerated action.
On October 23, 2023, a landmark initiative unfolded in the Historic City of Vigan, Philippines, as UNESCO Jakarta, in collaboration with ICOMOS Philippines and with the vital support of the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), launched a year-long project dedicated to safeguarding of the Historic City of Vigan. The local governmental unit, under the helm of Mayor Jose “Bonito” C. Singson, Jr., welcomed the UNESCO-ICOMOS Philippines project teams and local stakeholders.
The scope of the project concentrates on two pilot sites which represent common building types in Vigan. The two homes identified by ICOMOS Philippines are the Syquia Mansion and the Cabildo Old House. Enthusiastically, the very same day that the HEF was inaugurated ICOMOS Philippines had already started onsite analytic activities which marked the inaugural implementation of the HEF initiative in the Philippines, underlining its significance in addressing the aftermath of such calamities.
Please see the article in the Philippine Star Lifestyle and Arts section. Read here ➡️ https://bitly.ws/33hPK
This activity is supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country Project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
Syquia Mansion, one of the historical buildings in Vigan damaged by the earthquake in July 2022. It is among the historical buildings that benefits from the support of the Heritage Emergency Fund. Photo credit: MNL Solutions, Inc., August 9, 2023
23 October 2023, City of Vigan, Philippines – With the support of the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), UNESCO Jakarta, in partnership with ICOMOS Philippines, launched a 12-month project to enhance the protection of the Historic City of Vigan, a World Heritage Site since 1999. This activity aims to support post-earthquake technical standard enhancement on the conservation and protection of heritage houses and structures and contribute to the long-term recovery of the city following the earthquake in July 2022. It is also the first HEF activity implemented in the Philippines.
On 23 October, representatives of national and local government agencies, universities, NGOs specializing in heritage and conservation, private companies, homeowners and technical experts attended the official launch of the project.
Official project launch of the first UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) project in the Republic of the Philippines at the Historic City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur
“We are so excited to be one of the recipients of the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund project. The research and evaluation of the different teams will assure us that we will be able to restore the Syquia Mansion back to its glory days. Gregorio Syquia and all our other ancestors are beaming from up there!” – Ms. Maria Milagros “Mitos” P. Belofsky, Ancestral Homeowner, Syquia Mansion
“The critical concern now is how to protect the integrity and authenticity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site as homeowners plan to repair, restore, and rehabilitate their damaged properties; thus, the assistance from UNESCO and ICOMOS Philippines for restoration studies and plan for the two selected representatives is a welcome development” – Ar. Fatima Nicetas Rabang-Alonzo, a member of Vigan Conservation Council
Within the framework of this activity, the structural, architectural and materials assessments will be carried out for the representative houses (pilot sites), namely, the Syquia Mansion and Cabildo (Old) house, which will contribute in proposing technical standards for post-disaster damage assessment, and shoring and repair design for the future restoration of the entirety of the Historic City of Vigan’s beneficiary houses.
The findings of the two pilot sites assessments will be shared with the local government, the ancestral homeowners and the Vigan Conservation Council through a series of lectures, training-workshops and town hall meetings, and support the update of Vigan’s existing 2010 Heritage Homeowners Preservation Manual with an addendum. The outcome of the assessment and technical studies will also contribute to enhancing the skills of practitioners, craftsperson and homeowners on the effective repairing methods compatible with original building systems and materials.
The Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) is a multi-donor funding mechanism, established by UNESCO in 2015 with the goal of assisting Member States in responding quickly and effectively to crises resulting from armed conflicts and disasters all over the world. Its objective is to strengthen the ability of Member States to prevent, mitigate and recover the loss of cultural heritage, harnessing the potential of culture to strengthen resilience and support recovery. Since its establishment, the HEF has enabled UNESCO to support 84 countries through more than 120 emergency preparedness and response activities.
UNESCO thanks the donors of the Heritage Emergency Fund who make the activities possible: The Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
The International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is a non-governmental international organization dedicated to the conservation of the world’s monuments and sites. ICOMOS Philippines is an SEC registered non-stock corporation and the duly recognized National Committee (NC) of ICOMOS International in the country from 113 worldwide.
@unescojakarta