𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀

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.

December 19, 2023December 19, 2023

35th Anniversary ICOMOS Philippines Thanksgiving

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

For more information about ICOMOS Philippines and membership, please contact: info@iicomosphilippines.com

To donate to ICOMOS Philippines so we can continue our advocacy for Philippine heritage, please contact: info@icomosphilippines.com

December 6, 2023December 6, 2023

UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund project activities have started in the City of Vigan, Philippines

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.

For more information on ICOMOS Philippines ➡️ https://philippines.icomos.org/

Photo Credits: Ms. Jennie Villanueva Amian of Syquia Mansion, and Mr. Conrad Alampay of Digiscript

#UNESCO #unescoJAKARTA #ICOMOS #icomosPHILIPPINES #HeritageEmergencyFund #firstHEF #WorldHeritageSite #HistoricCityofVigan #PhilippineHeritage #SustainableHeritageManagement, #ProtectHeritage

November 12, 2023November 17, 2023

Heritage Conservation Transcending Green Building and Climate Action

On November 10, 2023 the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI) held a conference entitled “Beyond Green: Transcending Green Summit.”

Ar. Giuseppe Luigi Hernandez Abcede introduced the first cluster of speakers. ICOMOS Focal Point to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), L. Ar. Gabriel Victor Caballero gave a brief overview on what entails sustainable practices. He focused on design and planning— whether it was in heritage conservation practices, local culture, compliance to Sustainable Development Goals, or in circular economies such as furniture design.

Representing PIID, ICOMOS, HCS (the 1st cluster of speakers) respectively. IDr. Lilia De Jesus, IDr. Willie Garcia, Ar. Michaela Rosette Santos-Tayag, L. Ar. Gabriel Victor Caballero, EnP. Denise Lagrosa, Ar. Giuseppe Luigi Hernandez Abcede, Ar. Dinky von Einsiedel

En. P. Denise Lagrosa remarked, “The conference was well represented by professionals who are practicing energy efficiency, sustainability, green design, heritage and culturally sensitive methods from the engineers, architects, urban planners, cultural heritage professional, master plumbers, air-conditioning systems specialists, and fire protection, among others.”

Dr. Cheek Fadriquela, ICOMOS President, delivering remarks during summit

Along with ICOMOS Member L. Ar. Gabriel Victor Caballero, Ar. Giuseppe Luigi Hernandez Abcede and En. P. Denise Lagrosa, Ar. Michaela Rosette Santos-Tayag (long-time member of PGBI) and Ar. Michael Angelo Liwanag, ICOMOS Ph’s /representative to the Philippine Green Building Initiative, were also in attendance.

ICOMOS Philippines is a partner and fellow organizer with PGBI for the Beyond Green summit.

For more information on PGBI’s event 👉www.greenbuilding.ph

November 6, 2023November 17, 2023

Strategic Planning Workshop for the Creation of Roadmap for Cultural Expressions and Cultural-Oriented Products

The Department of Tourism, the Product Planning and Development Division of the Office of Product and Market Development conducted a Strategic Planning Workshop for the Creation of Roadmap for Cultural Experiences and Culture-Oriented Products on October 25 to October 27 in Pampanga.

ICOMOS Philippines participated in this three day workshop that was intended to collect and understand the opinions and perspectives of stakeholders for cultural tourism in the Philippines and to use this information to develop a framework and roadmap for the future of cultural tourism in the country. Although ICOMOS does not have any direct involvement, there are members who are part of the cultural tourism committee.

The new National Tourism Development Plan for 2023-2028 has cultural tourism as an important and robust economic driver. Part of the workshop defined what the concept of cultural tourism is and how that plays into the latest trends for tourism around the Philippines. Cultural tourism takes many forms such as pilgrimages, appreciating indigenous traditions and material culture, and purchasing tourism-oriented products.

During the conference, Dr. Ivan Henares delivered a talk on the ICOMOS Cultural Tourism Heritage Charter, and Dr. Laya Boquiren-Gonzales delivered a presentation on cultural sensitivity. ICOMOS Philippines member Ivan Man Dy was also in attendance.

The DOT and ICOMOS Philippines have worked together to promote and preserve the many cultural resources around the country, ensuring that these cultural resources receive the attention that they deserve.

Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.

For more information on ICOMOS Philippines ➡️ info@icomosphilippines.com

October 13, 2023October 24, 2023

ICOMOS Ph co-hosting Preserving Legacies: A Future for our Past & Climate Risk

Preserving Legacies is a global initiative supported by the National Geographic Society and funded by Manulife to address climate change. Climate change is the fastest growing threat to cultural – natural sites and the greatest danger to our planet’s most spectacular natural heritage today. One in three natural sites and one in six cultural heritage sites are threatened by climate change impacts like floods, droughts, and rising seas.

To safeguard cultural heritage, there is an urgent need to equip communities worldwide with the tools to accurately anticipate worsening and future climate impacts, and empower them with training to turn that scientific knowledge into action that will safeguard sites, support community adaptation, and plan for unavoidable loss and damage.

For the Preserving Legacies project, about eight sites globally are cadet sites; they have been chosen to fully engage in climate heritage training and a peer-to-peer learning experience. Site custodians from these sites will shadow the full process of pilot sites located at Jordan and the Philippines, including attending their workshops, to better prepare for their own assessments in 2024.

Two primary sites will go through a more robust program to link climate science and site conservation by enabling access to locally downscaled climate change models and organize a community-led workshop of the sites’ climate vulnerability as well as impacts on local communities. Petra, Jordan and the Ifugao Rice Terraces of the Philippines are the beneficiaries of the first program.

The Preserving Legacies leg for the Climate Risk and Resilience at the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras conference was from October 11 and concluded October 13. Participants celebrated with the Kiangan rice harvest with eating, rituals, chants, and dancing, a site visit to the Nagacadan cluster of the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras, presentations of the sites by farmers and local officials, lectures by Marlon Martin of the Save the Ifugao Terraces Movement (SITMo), a climate lecture by Dr. Ma Laurice Jamero, leader of the Resilience Collaboratory from the Manila Observatory, and roundtable discussions of the topics that were presented.

With the knowledge base of both the international site custodians and local Ifugao community, the conference has put forth comparative analyses of climate change around the world, presented suggestions for increased adaptation capacities and mitigation strategies, and recommendations for ways forwards for an environment that is sustainable and resilient.

September 20, 2023September 20, 2023

ICOMOS Participates in the Extended 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee

Annually, ICOMOS invites a global and multidisciplinary panel of heritage experts to assess each country’s nominations for World Heritage Sites. Among that panel was ICOMOS Philippines’ past president Tina Paterno, presenting via video the decision of the ICOMOS World Heritage Panel to inscribe Portugal’s Historic Centre of Guimarães and Couros Zone on the World Heritage List at the Extended 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee at the Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

One of the most important steps in inscription to the World Heritage Site list is the advice that ICOMOS gives to UNESCO. Each work in tandem to process tentative inscriptions from desk reviews, to physical site visits and, if merited, to the final announcement for inscription.

For more information about the ICOMOS Philippines, please contact: info@icomosphilippines.com

For information on ICOMOS Philippines please visit our website at: https://philippines.icomos.org/

#ICOMOS #ICOMOSPhilippines #ICOMOSInternational #UNESCO #World Heritage List

Photo credit: Dr. Teresa Patricio, President, ICOMOS International

August 3, 2023August 7, 2023

ICOMOS Philippines partners with ASEP, ISSEP, NCCA and Bakás Pilipinas on a Technical Forum on Built Heritage and Fire

ICOMOS Philippines in cooperation with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), the Institution of Specialist Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ISSEP), the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and Bakás Pilipinas, bring international and country-based experts for a hybrid Technical Forum on “Built Heritage and FIRE: Fire protection, Investigation, and Restoration through Engineering”.

The event will be held from 8:00 AM, Manila Time on August 11, 2023, Friday at the Metropolitan Theater of Manila (The MET) simultaneously streamed via online Zoom Conferencing Platform.

This forum intends to bring experts, professionals, and stakeholders to address the specific challenges and complexities associated with the Manila Post Office fire and fire-related incidents to built heritage, and develop possible strategies for its restoration. This also extends to addressing the concerns of fire risk management and restoration of cultural heritage in the country.

The Topics and Speakers are as follows:

Protecting our Cultural Heritage from Fire: Understanding the Challenges and Opportunities to Effectively Manage Fire by Christopher Marrion PE, FSFPE, MScFPE, President of Marrion Fire & Risk Consulting PE, LLC, and President of the International Committee on Risk Preparedness

Opportunities to Manage Fire Risk Through Traditional Knowledge and Community Engagement by Rohit Jigyasu, ICORP Vice President and UNESCO Chair on Cultural Heritage Management and Risk Management

Structural Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Fire-Damaged Structures by Stephen Kelley, SJK Preservation Architect/Engineer, ISCARSAH Past President

Burning for Heritage: Fire Threats to Built Heritage in Manila by Erik Akpedonu, Ateneo De Manila University, and ICOMOS Philippines Former Treasurer

Fire-Induced Effects on Concrete Material and Structure by Dr. Rodolfo P. Mendoza Jr., D.ENG, M.ASEP, ASEP Secretary

The Overall Approach to Assessing a Fire-Damaged Structure: Philippine Case Studies by Engr. Carlos M. Villaraza, F.ASEP, ASEP Past President

Electrical Safety Audit on Historic Buildings by Engr. Tristan G. Beriña, REE, Member, Electrical Safety Committee, Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines

To participate via Zoom kindly register in this REGISTRATION LINK or use the QR code above.

For more information on ICOMOS Philippines ➡️ https://philippines.icomos.org/

#ICOMOS #ICOMOSPH #HeritageProfessionals #InAction #TechnicalForum #BuiltHeritageAndFIRE

May 2, 2022July 9, 2023

ICOMOS Philippines’ Dr. Boquiren-Gonzales attended the Consultation Workshops of the Stakeholders’ Chamber centered on Education (SDG 4) and Gender Equality (SDG 5) for the 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR)

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Philippines’s representative Dr. Laya Boaquiren – Gonzales participated in the 1^st day of the Consultation Workshop on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Philippines for the 2022 Voluntary National Review (VNR).

The Voluntary National Review (VNR) is a process through which countries assess and present progress made in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the pledge to leave no one behind. The purpose of VNRs is to present a snapshot of where the country stands in SDG implementation, with a view to help accelerate progress through experience sharing, peer-learning, identifying gaps and good practices, and mobilizing partnerships.

The 1^st day of the Consultation Workshops captured how the Philippines responded to the demands and challenges of the pandemic in the areas of education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability particularly on the following aspects:

a. Resource Mobilization and Financing. Address financing gaps in SDG implementation, and integrate planning and budgeting to ensure that resources are optimized and allocated for SDG-related programs, activities, and policies;

b. Localization. Develop communications for more effective stakeholder engagement at the subnational level;

c. Monitoring. Enhance accountability mechanisms to ensure proper data monitoring and reporting of SDG progress; and

d. Stakeholder engagement. Development mechanisms to harmonize efforts from different actors on the SDGs

Through the abovementioned aspects, three (3) workshops were divided to tackle the following: Challenges, Best Practices, and Lessons learned / Ways forward / Recommendations.

Photo from National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Photo from National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Photo from National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)

Photo from Dr. Laya Boquiren – Gonzales

Dr. Boquiren – Gonzales represented ICOMOS Philippines during the 1^st day of the consultation workshops held last April 26, 2022, Tuesday, at Discovery Suites Ortigas, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Dr. Laya Boquiren – Gonzales provided highlights of the 1^st workshop:

“I joined the breakout session for non-government actors, where we highlighted our organization’s programs and projects on heritage education and capacity building. ICOMOS Philippines provides heritage education, continuing professional development, and internships — all with access to a network of international, national, and local specialists in heritage. Partnerships with organizations for skills-based training in heritage conservation, documentation, and restoration work (for job generation and poverty reduction) were also mentioned. That ICOMOS has a seat in NCMS makes it strategically positioned to contribute to collective efforts in attaining the SDGs.”

“The non-government actors of civil society organizations (CSOs) recommended that NEDA produce an AI-enabled platform to map out the efforts and beneficiaries of the CSOs that will be critical in monitoring the SDGs and helping one another streamline efforts in education for nation-building. We were also asked to identify challenges in resource mobilization and financing. We also recommended that since the government is duty-bound as an enabler, it should dedicate human resources to gather and consolidate data and reach out to government actors so that the resource mobilization issues we have identified will be appropriately communicated.”

Other present Stakeholders’ Chamber members were Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas (PhilDHRRA), Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., First Philippine Holdings Corporation, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) etc.

To know more about NEDA’s initiative, kindly visit bit.ly/SDGChamber

For more information on ICOMOS Philippines and SDGWG ➡️ (https://tinyurl.com/2sj8k3sb)

#ICOMOS #ICOMOSPH #SDGWG #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #LikasKayangPagUnlad #PhilippineHeritage #PAMANA2030 #PartnershipForTheGoals #2030Agenda #StakeholdersChamberForSDGs #SustainableDevelopment #AmBisyonNatin2040

April 13, 2022April 13, 2022

PEOPLE, PLACE AND CULTURE SHAPING THE ARCHITECTURE: Cases of Nepal and the Philippines

In celebration of the International Day for Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS Philippines and ICOMOS Nepal collaborate on a talk that explores how climate change affects each country’s vernacular heritage. As vernacular heritage is a product of local climate, topography, culture and locally available materials in the past, how will future climate hazards – changing temperatures, rainfall patterns, winds, drought, flash floods, wildfire, storm, landslide, etc., have a larger impact on the site?

Two cases from each country shall present how the place of origin, climatic condition and the culture of the people living in the area has shaped their architecture. The speakers discuss how the vulnerabilities might manifest (rising damp, changing landscapes, loss of roofing, for example), how sites have adapted to keep resilient, and what other interventions we should be planning for today to secure sites for the imminence of climate change.The talk will take place on Monday, April 18, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM.

Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rdOCupjMvH9xxMOoBKIRGDfJI8v-iHQmk