The Board Welcomes Victor ‘Bobing’ Venida as the New Vice President of ICOMOS Philippines

Dr. Victor S. Venida is a retired Professor of Economics and lecturer of the Development Studies Program and the European Studies Programme of Ateneo de Manila University. He finished his M.Sc. in Economics at London School of Economics and his Ph.D. in Economics at New York University. His research interests are in development economics, urban and regional analysis, cultural/architectural heritage, Marxian economics and history of economics.

Quoted from ICOMOS Philippines By-Laws: In the case of vacancy due to resignation, death or any other cause of the trustees, except removal or expiration of the term, the Board is empowered and authorized to designate from among the members of the Association (ICOMOS Philippines) in good Standing, a trustee or trustees who shall serve only for the unexpired term of the trustee being replaced.

Tawir Talks: Webinar on Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)

Tawir Talks with Youth for Pangasinan Heritage (Y4PH)

Title of Activity: Tawir Talks: Webinar on Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs)

Date: June 12, 2021 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Venue: Online (via Zoom)

Description:

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.

One of the most important aspects that must be focused on in order to achieve sustainable development is heritage. In the recent years, it has been recognized that heritage and their conservation could positively impact local communities –an effective driver for economic and social development, and an important site for inclusivity and empowerment.

The Youth for Pangasinan Heritage (Y4PH), a youth-led volunteer organization which aims to raise awareness on and elicit appreciation of culture, arts, history, and heritage among Pangasinan youth, will conduct an activity that could open a platform for a discussion on cultural heritage and development. Y4PH recognizes the crucial role of the youth, being the community’s cultural bearers and transmitters, in the eventual achievement of the SDGs. In this regard, Y4PH will conduct a webinar on “Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” Particularly, the webinar aims to accomplish the following objectives:

1) To situate and present the relationship between heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);

2) To identify and present prospects for initiatives anchored on heritage conservation and SDGs in the Philippines; and

3) To inspire the youth to actively contribute to the achievement of the SDGs

Resource Persons:

LArch’t. Gabriel Caballero, Focal Point for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of ICOMOS International, gave a talk on “Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Policy Guidance for Heritage and Development Actos”. His talk consists of: 1) Introduction of ICOMOS International and its contribution to global causes, 2) Basic principles of Heritage and Sustainable Development, 3) Inclusion of Cultural Heritage in the Agenda 2030: Target 11.4, and 4) Mobilization for integrating Heritage in the UN Decade of Action through the International Policy Guidance and the SDGsWG.

Arch’t. Kenneth Tua, Philippine Policy Guidance Manager / Coordinator, gave a talk on “Cultural Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals: Prospects for the Philippines”. His talk consists of: 1) Introduction of National Sustainable Development Goals Working Group Philippines, 2) Efforts of ICOMOS Philippines in achieving Sustainable Development from 2013 – 2021, and 3) Prospects for initiatives anchored in Heritage Conservation and the SDGs in the Philippines through localizing the Policy Guidance.

2nd ICOMOS Philippines Student Symposium

We believe there is good student research out there that should be shared. ICOMOS has culled through abstracts and presents the most relevant and innovative among them, followed by a discussion among its expert members in those fields.


[Schedule for the 2nd ICOMOS Philippines Student Symposium]

Check out our lineup for #IPSS2021!

Day 1, 28 May 2021 (Friday)

OPENING SESSION: Heritage Makers, Change Makers
Keynote Address by Dr. Felipe de Leon Jr., NCCA National Music Committee Chair

SESSION 1: The doing of built heritage conservation: Methods and approach
Paper presentations by Vangie Cheryl Ulila, Tiffany Bello & Shayna Mari Tria

Day 2, 29 May 2021 (Saturday)

SESSION 2: Heritage Values: Intangible meanings, tangible effects
Paper presentations by Jose Medriano III, Mary Marguerette Cruz, Louie Ann Valeriano & Jezreel R. Nugas

SESSION 3: Adaptive Reuse: Old buildings, new uses
Paper presentations by Ira Ben Tobis, Jazel Lynn Ong & Gellaine Marie Burgos

This is a free event. Scan the QR code or go to tinyurl.com/IPSS2021 to register now!

Diverse Pasts, Complex Futures – ICOMOS Day 2021 (April 18, 10:30am GMT+8)

In celebration of ICOMOS Day 2021, themed ??????? ?????, ??????? ???????, the Philippine National Committee hosts a talk that explores the creation, selection, and preservation of heritage through the kalesa study and the jeepney. 

Urban historian ??. ??????? ????? discusses the evolution of the carruaje in pre-War Manila. In the last century, it was perceived as a relic from an “unmodern” past that must give way to newer, safer transportation forms. Today it survives primarily for tourists who seek a nostalgic experience, or perhaps an incomplete interpretation/presentation of the Walled City and other historic districts. 

What lessons on heritage declaration and preservation might one draw by studying the case of the kalesa and the jeepney, currently absent from the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property? What insights might be applied to contemporary vernacular architecture, especially those of lower-income Filipinos? What role do heritage managers and cultural workers play in identifying what should be preserved and ensuring that cultural properties, especially those heavily used and meaningful to marginalized communities, endure into the future? 

These questions and more will be explored by Dr. Pante and guest discussants ???? ??? ?????????? and ?????? ?????? moderated by ???? ???????. 

  • The webinar will be held via Zoom on 18 April, Sunday at 10:30 AM Hong Kong SAR, MNL time 

ICOMOS Philippines Elected New Board of Trustees and Officers

2020 – ICOMOS Philippines recently concluded a Special Membership Meeting on November 30, 2020, 9:30AM (GMT+8) in a Zoom meeting. The Special Membership Meeting is in lieu of the ICOMOS Philippines Annual Meeting that was originally scheduled for July 2, 2020 as indicated in Article II Section 2 of the by-laws, which was not held due to community quarantines and restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The main agendas of the Special Membership Meeting were the presentation of the Term Report of Trustees and the Election of New Board of Trustees and Officers. The Meeting ended successfully concluded with new Board of Trustees and Officers.

For the new Term, Tina Paterno remains to be the ICOMOS Philippines President. With her are Ivan Henares as Vice President, Kara Garilao as Corporate Secretary, Richard Daenos as Executive Secretary, Erik Akpedonu as Treasurer, Kate Lim for the EPWG Representative position, and Claudia Montero as Communications Officer.

Know more about the people behind the International Council on Monuments and Sites Philippines: ICOMOS Philippines Board of Trustees and Officers

PHILIPPINE LANDSCAPE HERITAGE EDUCATION

ICOMOS Philippines’ intern Kenneth Tua will present his research on Philippine Landscape Heritage Education. This is his final presentation for the Internship Programme.

Philippine Landscape Heritage Education 16 October 2020 (Friday) | 8:00 PM Philippine Standard Time

SPEAKER

“Philippine Landscape Heritage Education: Review of the preparedness of Landscape Architecture curricula in the Philippines for the specialization of Landscape Heritage Conservation (LHC)”

Mr. Kenneth J. Tua is a registered & licensed architect and a sustainable territorial development consultant. He graduated Bachelor of Science in Architecture at the University of Santo Tomas and have acquired professional certifications as a scholar in Sustainability, Sustainable Development, and Innovation programmes from YSISEA in Singapore, APYE in Thailand and Social Innovation Center, Hanyang University, South Korea. He previously worked for the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines – Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) where he handled the research of the proposed Manila Esplanade Lighting Project and low impact development projects. Currently, he is a graduate scholar of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in DYnamics of Cultural Landscape, heritage, Memory and conflictualities (DYCLAM+).

DETAILS

“Philippine Landscape Heritage Education”, is schedule this Friday, October 16, 2020, 8:00 PM (Philippine Standard Time)

To register, you may fill up this form: bit.ly/mot201016guest

The talk is for ICOMOS PH members and invited colleagues.

For interested students or new graduates who would like to take internship with the organization visit: bit.ly/icomosphinternship.

PROJECT ALEXANDRIA: A baseline study of the government practice and spending on heritage in the Philippines

ICOMOS Philippines’ past and current interns will present respective research. Dr. Victor Venida from the Ateneo de Manila University will be the discussant for this event.

Project Alexandria 28 September 2020 (Monday) | 6:00 PM Philippine Standard Time

CONTRIBUTORS

“Summary of Conservation Projects in the Philippines: The National Museum and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines”

Ms. Patricia Cecille Monica H. Panganiban is graduated with an Erasmus Mundus Masters in Archaeological Sciences from the University of Evora in Portugal, where she specialized in the study of pigments from Ancient Egpytian funerary masks and sarcophagi. Prior to that, she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and Materials Science and Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University. She is currently working with the Nayong Pilipino Foundation on the development of the Nayong Pilipino Virtual Museum.

Ms. Ma. Louisen Manuel Roxas is a graduate of BS Human Ecology major in Human Settlements Planning from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, and she is currently pursuing her masters in Urban & Regional Planning at UP Diliman. Currently, she is working as the Training Manager of Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), an internal NGO focused on humanitarian action & community development through open mapping. 

“Diagnostic Report of The Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties (PRECUP)”

Ms. Carissa Veloso is the current ICOMOS Philippines Secretariat. Before joining ICOMOS Philippines, she was the Business Development Manager for San Sebastian Basilica Conservation, a non-profit restoration foundation based in Manila (2015-2019). She was also the representative of the Philippines for UNESCO’s young professionals program for the 42nd World Heritage Committee Session. She holds a BS Management degree with minors in Cultural Heritage and Entrepreneurship from Ateneo de Manila University.

Ms. Chanelle Custorio is both a registered and licensed chemical engineer and architect. She is an alumni of UP Diliman, worked in the restoration of San Sebastian Basilica, and is now a co-partner for the architecture firm Hiraya Design Studio. She has also attended courses on Management and Monitoring of World Heritage Sites by ICCROM as well as on Conservation of Japanese Textiles by TNRICP.

Mr. Isaiah Cabañero is a graduate of Community Development at the University of the Philippines – Diliman, working with communities and volunteer organizations which gained him experience in community organizing and people-centered participatory project development. He is currently working hand-in-hand with local coffee farming ati communities in Iloilo.

Ms. Ruby Descalzo is a recent graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University, with a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Cultural Heritage Studies. She previously served as the President of Baybayin Ateneo, a Filipino cultural student organization. She is currently under the mentorship of Claudia Montero, and will be working with Dr. John Peterson as part of her internship.

Mr. Gio Abcede is a graduating BS Architecture student from De La Salle University, College of Saint Benilde. He has worked with One/Zero Design Co. on the Maestranza Creative Quarters project and collaborated with Digiscript Philippines Inc. with mapping presentations for the Intramuros Cultural Management Plan. He is also a core member and graphic designer for the Heritage Conservation Society. He is currently working closely with the Architecture Committee of ICOMOS Philippines, under the tutelage of Dominic Galicia.

DISCUSSANT

Dr. Victor Venida, ICOMOS Philippines member, completed his M.Sc. in economics at the London School of Economics and a PhD in economics at New York University. He completed a specialist course in International Economics, Trade and Finance at the Instituto Nacional de Administracion Publica at Alcala de Henares, Spain. Currently e is a Professor with the Department of Economics and a Lecturer with the European Studies Program, Development Studies Program and the Law School of Ateneo de Manila University.

DETAILS

“Project Alexandria ”,  is scheduled this Monday, September 28, 2020, 6:00 PM (Philippine Standard Time).

To register, you may fill up this form:  bit.ly/projalexandriaguest

The talk is for ICOMOS PH members and invited colleagues.

For interested students or new graduates who would like to take internship with the organization visit: bit.ly/icomosphinternship.

Synthesizing the ICOMOS Webinar – Place-making and Food Security

INTRODUCTION

ICOMOS Philippines members came together online last June 20, 2020 for the webinar, “Place-Making and Food Security: Thinking of Heritage Conservation and Food Production”. This is part of the project, ‘Heritage Practice Amidst Covid 19’. Members and specialists provided some perspectives connecting food security and cultural heritage amidst the challenges of the global pandemic.

CONCEPT

Three key terms were re-examined namely: food security, food sovereignty, and their relationship to cultural heritage:

A. Food security defined as the supply, the availability, and the stability of price of basic foodstuff in the international and domestic market (World Food Conference, 1974). While Food Sovereignty emerged more than three decades later as the reaction to grass roots movements around the world, and uncovered more clearly the mediators, interactions, and instruments of food production, distribution, and consumption.

Food sovereignty prioritises local and national economies and markets and empowers peasant and family farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal – fishing, pastoralist-led grazing, and food production, distribution and consumption based on environmental, social and economic sustainability. Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade that guarantees just incomes to all peoples as well as the rights of consumers to control their food and nutrition.

– Nyéléni Declaration on Food Sovereignty (February 2007) at Sélingué, Mali

B. Cultural heritage acknowledges the central role of change and human culture in shaping food production. The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila, the Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia are just few of the sites representing agricultural practices passed on for generations, later on caters the global market, thus, highlighting the deep connections between food, people, places, and culture in various parts of the world.

Responding to queries – Pursuing a Public Discourse

A healthy public interest in the topic was well-received with questions coming from universities, professional organizations, and national institutions that exposes a need for public discourse in the Philippines on the politics of food.

An example is the Sagada in Northern Philippines which indicates the need for this platform in the public domain, to discuss our changing relationship with nature through food, cultural practices, and tourism.

Photos of a Dap-ay, a traditional place of gathering in Sagada. On the left shows the removal of more modern materials of corrugated metal which was replaced by more traditional roofing materials (right) during the pandemic. Photo from Patricia Santiago.

Responses by the esteemed speakers from the webinar’s questions are shown in the ‘Annex A’ of this report. The questions have been grouped into two broad themes: the first, brings globalization to bear on the Philippine context of food chain; the second focuses on local issues of food, tourism, economic development and intangible heritage.

CONCLUSION

ICOMOS Philippines hopes that this webinar provides new ideas that can contribute to improving the appreciation for Filipino farmers, and artisans, and improve their commercial prospects. The lack of interest and of involvement in traditional agricultural practices especially by the youth, will lead to a loss of traditional knowledge, and risks destruction of cultural landscapes that are shaped by the dying farming traditions. This holds true for fishing villages, sugar plantations, salt-making regions, and other places where food production is central to these cultural landscapes’ cultural significance

In summary the webinar illustrates that humanity’s food resources can be secured, while conserving its most important cultural heritage, based on these three basic principles:

  • Respect for the environment.
  • Build an equitable relationship with the primary producers of our food.
  • Recognise indigenous knowledge systems and practices for the benefit of these communities.

Download the file below to read more.

If you would like to know more about this initiative, please get in touch with Gabriel Caballero, ICOMOS Philippines Communications Officer at communications[at]icomosphilippines[dot]com and Estela Duque, Founder of Moulinet Chocolat Limited at http://www.moulinetchocolat.com/

https://www.facebook.com/235191679972291/videos/1130550310643727
To watch the recorded webinar, see Facebook video.
https://www.facebook.com/AsiaFeatured/videos/1208506099515015
“PHILIPPINES: Farm to Manila” – Sustainable Sagada Initiative by Ms. Patricia Maria Santiago

ICOMOS Philippines’ Webinar Series: Rethinking Monuments in the Philippines

This will be a conversation on the current crisis of monumentality and racial reckoning. Broadly put, what is the relationship between monuments and historical commemoration? Who or what do these monuments celebrate and what do they leave out? This event is the third talk in ICOMOS Philippines’ Webinar Series.

ICOMOS Philippines’ Webinar Series:: Rethinking Monuments in the Philippines

14 September 2020 (Monday) | 9:30 AM Philippine Standard Time

SPEAKER

Lila Ramos Shahani is the former Secretary- General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

Under her leadership (and with the help of other agencies), her team succeeded in obtaining 4 UNESCO designations for the country: in 2019, an endangered ritual complex (the “buklog” of the Subanen, an indigenous group in the southern part of the Philippines) was inscribed in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

That same year, Cebu was named a UNESCO Creative City of Design. In 2018, the Culion Leprosy Archives in Palawan were inscribed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register. In 2017, Baguio was named a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art.

She previously gave a talk on the same topic, ‘Rethinking Monuments’ exclusively for the ICOMOS PH members and some questions were raised are: What monuments should be kept and which should retire to the museums? How do we rethink of the relationship between monuments and public spaces which the public are being served by such erections? What do monuments subliminally represent?

REACTOR

Ian Morley is an Associate Professor in the Department of History, and Associate Professor (by Courtesy) on CUHK’s Urban Studies Programme.

He has published widely on the design of built environments and participated in TV documentaries. Just recently, he achieved the status of Senior Fellow from the UK Professional Standards Framework and was a recipient  of the Bosma Prize in Planning History Innovation 2020 from the International Planning History Society (IPHS) for his book American Colonisation and the City Beautiful: Filipinos and Planning in the Philippines, 1916-35.

He currently is an editorial board member of the Brill book series Studies in Architecture and Urban History, as well as of Planning Perspectives.

DETAILS

The webinar, “ICOMOS Philippines’ Webinar Series: Rethinking Monuments in the Philippines”,  is scheduled this Monday, September 14, 2020, 9:30 AM (Philippine Standard Time).

Zoom registration is on a first come first served basis. To register, you may fill up this form: bit.ly/ipws200914.

The talk will be streamed on Facebook Live where the speaker will be able to get your questions and respond:  facebook.com/icomosph/live

Rethinking Monuments – ICOMOS members discuss

Last July 18, 2020, ICOMOS Philippine members met up to discuss the situation of monuments and the current discourse of politics that surround these objects. The conversation was led by Ms. Lila Shahani, former Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

Ms. Shahani discussed about the dynamics of politics, national narratives and cultural meanings of monuments. It was then followed by several reactors who discussed the angles of heritage interpretation, plaza development, and cultural politics. An open forum discussion was then facilitated by Dr. Stephen Acabado, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles

ICOMOS Philippines will be exploring further steps to think about deepening the discourse on the topic in the national context.

ICOMOS Philippines member Gabriel Caballero also participate in the global discourse by ICOMOS International entitled, “Diversify / Decolonise Heritage!” which was held online on July 19, 2020, 13:00 Paris Time. The initiative was started by ICOMOS Germany in collaboration with the ICOMOS Emerging Professionals Working Group.

Check out Ms Shahani’s two opinion pieces on Rappler. The first carries forward from the ICOMOS discussion, Rethinking monuments – “Who or what do these monuments celebrate, and what do they leave out? More pointedly, what do they erase and what do they choose to celebrate and canonize? “. The second is about ‘National’ narratives and the Philippine bureaucracy – “Who speaks (and who is spoken for) in the nation? Whose interests does it serve and represent? What does it encompass? ”