ICOMOS Philippines member and ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) Expert Voting Member Ivan Anthony Henares was named one of The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines for 2012. He is the first awardee ever for the category of Heritage Conservation, which makes the honor doubly significant. This is one of the most prestigious professional awards given in the Philippines.
ICOMOS ICTC President Susan M. Millar arrives in Manila
ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) President Susan M. Millar arrived in Manila last night for the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Conference and 2012 ICTC Annual Meeting that will be held next week in the Historic Town of Vigan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She was met at the airport by ICOMOS Conference Chair Ivan Anthony S. Henares (right) and Co-Chair Ivan Homer U. Man Dy (left).
International Cultural Tourism Committee holds its 2012 Annual Meeting and Conference in the Philippines
(by Murray Brown, ICTC Secretary General)
An international conference on cultural tourism was held on November 7/8 2012 in the World Heritage city of Vigan, capital of the province of Ilocos Sur on the west coast of the Philippines island of Luzon. The event demonstrated both the rising influence of the ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) and the energy and sophistication of the ICOMOS Philippines organising team.
Billed as ‘cultural tourism for community development’ and part of the 40 year celebration of the World Heritage Convention, the two day conference attracted more than 200 delegates from around the world, including a large contingent of students from local universities.
List of papers at International Conference on Cultural Tourism as of 27 August 2012
November 7, 2012 (Wednesday)
08:00-09:00 Registration
09:00-09:05 Philippine National Anthem
09:05-09:10 Welcome Message – Augusto F. Villalon, President, ICOMOS Philippines
09:10-09:20 Opening Address – Susan Millar, President, ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC)
09:20-10:00 Keynote Address – Hon. Felipe de Leon, Chairman, National Commission for Culture and the Arts
10:00-10:30 Cultural Tourism: Challenges and Opportunities for Community Development / A Destination Approach to Protecting Heritage Values and Enhancing the Visitor Experience – Policy, Planning and Management – Susan Millar, ICTC President
10:30-11:00 Coffee Break
11:00-11:30 Tourism and Community Development through Successful Cultural Heritage Merchandising – Graham Brooks
11:30-12:00 Shared Built Heritage in Asia – Sue Jackson-Stepowski, ISC SBH Vice President
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-13:30 Economic and Social Impact of Heritage – Michele Prats, Vice President, ICOMOS France
13:30-14:00 Community Based Tourism in the Philippines: National Tourism Development Plan and Intramuros Master Plan – Augusto Villalon, ICOMOS Philippines President
14:00-14:30 Cultural Heritage Tourism Development Framework for Enhancing Heritage for Tourism: Case Study, The Grand Trunk Road in Punjab, India – Gurmeet S Rai, Director, CRCI New Delhi
14:30-15:00 Gabii sa Kabilin – Joy Gerra, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation
15:00-15:30 Coffee Break
15:30-16:00 Heritage Site Visitation Management – Randy Durband, USA
16:00-16:30 Cultural Tourism in a Multi-Ethnic Traumatized Community – Pali Wijeratne, Sri Lanka
16:30-17:00 The Role of Cultural Heritage in Peacemaking and Rebuilding Post-Conflict Communities – Suzanne Bott, PhD
17:30-18:00 War and Peace in Tourism – Mark Torres, MSU Iligan
18:00-18:15 Announcements
November 8, 2012 (Thursday)
08:00-08:30 Arrival of Participants
08:30-09:00 High-Impact Tour Packages for Sustainable Community Development: The Case of Kularts Tribal Tours and Cultureight Travel – Carlo Ebeo and Charisse Aquino-Tugade
09:00-09:30 Liternature: Cultural Tourism Destination and Opportunity for Community – Kwangsik Kim, Senior Member, ICOMOS Korea
09:30-10:00 Cultural Tourists of the Future for the Asia-Pacific Region – Hilary du Cros
10:00-10:30 Coffee Break
10:30-11:00 Cultural Heritage and Local Development: A Case Study of District Mansehra KP, Pakistan – Sattar Fazli Durrani, Assistant Professor, Hazara University
11:00-11:30 Communicating Heritage Values – Creative Conversations – Peter Ross and Susan Millar, ICTC President
11:30-12:00 “Telling the Stories of The Rocks”: Place Based Interpretation (Ian Kelly, Director, The Rocks and Circular Quay, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority)
12:00-13:00 Lunch
13:00-13:30 The Heritage River Island, Assam – Dilip K. Medhi, Gauhati University, Guwahati Department of Anthropology
13:30-14:00 Developing Values-Based and Participatory Tourism: A Need for “River Island of Majuli Cultural Landscape in the Midstream of Brahmaputra River, Assam, India” for a Prospective World Heritage Site in North East India – GSV Suryanarayana Murthy, Conservation Architect, Hyderabad, India; and Syed Iftikar Hussain, CEO, Majuli Cultural Landscape Management Authority, Assam, India
14:00-14:30 Sustainable Tourism on World Heritage Properties Linked to Agricultural and Livestock Rearing Practices: Enhancing the Role of Communities – Celia Martínez, University of Granada, Spain
14:30-15:00 Small Town Heritage Tourism and the International Cultural Tourism Charter – Jim Donovan, FASLA
15:00-15:30 “The Castle and the Community” – The Key Role of Hillsborough Castle Northern Ireland in Cultural Tourism for Community Development – Sharon Brown and Alan Oliver, ICOMOS UK
15:30-16:00 Coffee Break
16:00-16:30 Limunsudan Falls, Northern Mindanao Heritage Tourism – Rosario Dizon
16:30-17:00 Argao Youth for Heritage Society – AYHS: Empowerment through Community-Based Cultural Education – Ruel Javier Rigor, AYHS Founder and Adviser
17:00-17:20 Open Forum
17:20-17:30 Conclusions and Announcements
For registration to the conference, send an e-mail to vigan2012@icomosphilippines.com. Note that seats are limited. We will accept participants on a first come, first served basis. Payment of conference fee confirms your slot.
Participation fees are Php3500 for professionals (inclusive of lunch on both days, conference kits) and Php600 for undergraduate students with ID (inclusive of packed lunch on both days, conference kits)
Note that the fees do not include transportation to/from Vigan and accommodation there. The City Tourism Office of Vigan, Ilocos Sur can assist you in looking for accommodation. You may contact the office at (077) 7228776 or admin@vigancity.gov.ph. Registration begins at 8 a.m. of Wednesday, November 7, 2012. Conference will end at 5:30 p.m. of Thursday, November 8, 2012.
For cash and check payments, you may deposit to:
International Council on Monuments & Sites Philippines, Inc.
Bank of the Philippine Islands S/A No. 3083 7113 95 (Loyola Katipunan Branch)
Scan and e-mail a copy of the deposit slip to vigan2012@icomosphilippines.com. Keep the original slip and present it when you register during the conference. You will need the deposit slip to claim your conference ID, kit and official receipt.
Augusto Villalon awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

ICOMOS Philippines President Augusto Villalon was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, conferred by the Minstry of Culture of France to individuals who have excelled in their fields of endeavor and who have promoted France. Established in 1957 by the French Ministry of Culture and then President Charles de Gaulle, the Order is in recognition of significant contribution to the arts and literature, or the propagation of these fields.
The citation says that Augusto Villalon has worked tirelessly in the practice of architecture and protection of heritage in the Philippines, in France and all over the world through his work as an architect and writer, and also involvement as the NCCA Commissioner representing the Subcommission of Cultural Heritage, as the Commissioner for Cultural Heritage of the UNESCO National Commission Philippines, as the Philippine representative to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, as the President of the ICOMOS Philippine Committee and as Member of its Executive and Advisory Committees in Paris.
Call for Papers: ICOMOS ICTC Vigan Conference on Cultural Tourism & 2012 Annual Meeting
ICOMOS ICTC VIGAN CONFERENCE ON CULTURAL TOURISM
Cultural Tourism for Community Development
Vigan, Philippines November 5-10, 2012
The international seminar/workshop on cultural tourism organized by the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Tourism (ICTC) will be held at the City of Vigan, Philippines on November 5-10, 2012. The event is organized by ICOMOS Philippines. Vigan is a historic city and World Heritage site located in the northern part of Luzon, Philippines. The city as venue for the seminar/workshop is most apt as it is an example of a WH site as an emerging tourism destination.
Through this event, expert members of ICTC will establish association with ICOMOS Philippines and representatives from developing countries of Asia and the Pacific to discuss present day issues on tourism and heritage. The topic on the benefits of community participation in conservation and cultural tourism programs as an essential aspect of cultural tourism will become the underlying theme of the seminar/workshop.
It is envisioned that the event will have a training component where students and participants from the Philippines including ICOMOS Philippines members and participants from developing countries, especially in Asia and the Pacific, will draw inspiration from the different case studies and presentations for adaption to Philippine, Asian and the ICTC members countries’ cultural tourism contexts. Thus, it will be an opportunity for Philippine ICOMOS members, students of Philippine universities, participants from these developing countries as well as ICTC members to learn from the exchanges and experiences shared during the presentations.
In this line, we are inviting case studies of actual projects done by ICTC members on the theme while a few case studies of actual situations on tourism in heritage sites are expected to come from Philippine ICOMOS members. The topic of ‘destination management’ as a presently relevant topic and will become one of its important sub-themes.
As actual case studies and projects are to be presented, it is encouraged that topics focus on the issue of community participation in cultural tourism. The following are the sub-themes that maybe considered within the context of community tourism, for the presentations and case studies:
1. Social and Economic Community development through sustainable cultural tourism
a. Sustainable Community-based tourism practices
b. Benefits of community participation in conservation and cultural tourism programs
c. Can join Economics of Tourism topics here
2. Values-based tourism
a. Culture and nature Interpretation for tourism
b. Information and education development for tourism
3. Economics of Tourism
a. Honing cultural industries as tourism by-products
b. Accommodations and home-stays development for economic development
c. Communities and stakeholders involvement in tourism activities
d. Government and/or NGOs initiatives in tourism
e. Ticketing and tour packaging of heritage sites for tourism
4. Challenges and concerns of Tourism in Heritage Sites
a. Tourism in-flux and its effects on heritage sites
b. Over development and build-up outcomes in heritage sites
c. Management of tourism destinations
5. Promotions and Marketing of Heritage for tourism
a. Experiences and good practices in the marketing of heritage sites
b. Challenges in marketing and advertisement of hard to sell heritage sites
c. Enhancing heritage for tourism (facilities development, heritage information enhancement, etc)
Call for Abstracts
Abstract submission
Abstract submissions are required for the sessions and individual papers. A one-page abstract that includes a brief outline explaining the content of the presentation is encouraged.
Deadline for abstracts shall be June 30, 2012
Selected papers shall be announced through the seminar/workshop website.
To afford time for printing and incorporation into a seminar/workshop booklet/ brochure, submission of final papers shall be no later than July 31, 2012. This shall include a power point presentation that will cover no more than 20 minutes.
Abstracts should be sent to:
Ma. Joycelyn B. Mananghaya
E-mail: jbmananghaya@yahoo.com
For registration to the conference:
E-mail: info@icomosphilippines.com
For more details, visit the ICTC Meeting Vigan 2012 page.
1st UPCA Heritage Conservation Seminar – Tahanan ng Diwa Workshop, in collaboration with ICOMOS Philippines

1st UP College of Architecture Heritage Conservation Seminar
21-24 May 2012 (Monday-Thursday) | (Quezon City, Philippines)
The University of the Philippines College of Architecture – HTC (History, Theory, and Criticism), in collaboration with ICOMOS Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, would like to invite you to this workshop entitled, “Tahanan ng Diwa”, the 1st UPCA Heritage Conservation Seminar that will be held at the UPCA HTC Studio Laboratory, University of the Philippines – Diliman, Quezon City, on May 21-24.
The workshop encourages the participants to:
- Consider heritage in planning;
- Be familiar with the steps in a Conservation Project;
- Be aware of and and enforce the Heritage Law;
- Know the importance of Architectural Heritage; and
- Consider the Architectural Heritage in the Building Permit Process.
We are hoping to see your representative/s attend the workshop and aid us in promoting the Conservation Principles that your chosen participant would surely learn.
Should you have any queries please call our secretariat, Ms. Claire Vitug, at (0927) 6056388 or email us at tahananngdiwa2012@gmail.com.
Better Lighting Through Advanced Technology: Seminar Workshop

Better Lighting Through Advanced Technology: Seminar Workshop
3 March 2012 (Saturday) | 8AM-7PM (Manila City, Philippines)
ICOMOS Philippines and the Philippine Association of Landscape Architects (PALA) will be holding a lighting seminar and workshop entitled “Better Lighting Through Advanced Technology” on March 3 (Saturday), from 8AM-7PM, at the Casa Blanca, Casa Manila Patio, Intramuros, Manila City.
INVITED SPEAKERS
Marc Cools, CEO of Hitech Lighting World Corporation
Fabrice Cools, Project Manager of Hitech Lighting World Corporation
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
8:00AM – 9:00AM Regsitration
9:00AM – 6:00PM Seminar
6:00PM – 7:00PM Workshop
Registration fee for professionals is PHP 1,000 (PHP 800 if registration fee is paid on or before February 24). For students, registration fee is PHP 500.
Kindly contact Mr. Bari Panopio (0917 860 8670), Ms. Tracey Santiago (0917 545 5615) or Mr. Eric Estonido (0917 585 4882). You may also send us an email at pala_org@yahoo.com.ph.
Please deposit registration payments to BDO – Herrera Branch:
Philippine Association of Landscape Architects
1208000531
NOTE: Attendees are advised to bring laptops with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
17th ICOMOS General Assembly held in Paris, France
The 17th ICOMOS General Assembly was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France from November 27 to December 2, 2011. Representing the Philippine National Committee were Ma. Joycelyn Mananghaya, Ivan Anthony Henares and David Mason.
Mananghaya and Henares also attended the 2011 annual meetings of the Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL) and Cultural Tourism (ICTC) committees respectively. The Philippines will be hosting the 2012 ICTC Annual Meeting in Vigan, Ilocos Sur from November 5 to 10, 2012.
ICOMOS Philippines partners with Gawad Kalinga for Intramuros project
ICOMOS Philippines was among the partners of the Gawad Kalinga Intramuros project last October 1, 2011 that was launched with 2000 student volunteers from all over the Philippines doing work in Intramuros. They cleaned up debris from last week’s typhoon, painted walls, removed growth from the fortifications and built or repaired sidewalks with concrete pavers. This is the first phase of a long-range project to bring Intramuros into the consciousness of the youth so they will respect their heritage.
ICOMOS members will have the opportunity to be involved in future projects.