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.
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
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.
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
How to balance heritage with the demands of a modern city? In exploring ways to preserve the rich cultural character of Manila, the City Government of Manila invited stakeholders to present their opinions. Among organizations invited was ICOMOS Philippines, represented by Trustee Erik Akpedonu, co-author (with Fernando Zialcita) of “Endangered Splendor: Manila’s Architectural Heritage 1571-1960. “Manila’s Tourism Stakeholder’s Seminar/Workshop on Cultural Mapping and Inventory” was the Tourism Month celebration, the City Government of Manila’s Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila (DTCAM), held the last September 22, 2022, at Universidad De Manila. Mr. Akpedonu proposed a number of legislative measures to better protect built heritage in Manila:
To legislate (by city ordinance or executive order) that the Office of the Building Official, before issuing demolition, renovation, or redevelopment permits, not only cross-check the proposed development site against the list of officially NCCA/NHCP- or LGU-declared heritage structures (as is currently the case), but to also cross-check against a list of PRESUMED IMPORTANT CULTURAL PROPERTIES (buildings 50 years and older, works of National Artists, etc.) as defined by Republic Act 10066 (The Heritage Act) and as compiled by PRECUP and Manila`s own Tourism Office, before issuing such permits;
To make public by online posting the minutes of all official meetings discussing any variations to any existing zoning laws for specific individual constrictions projects (which to date does not seem to be the case); and
To exempt declared heritage structures and Presumed Important Cultural Properties from Property Tax under certain conditions.
The meeting was attended by representatives from Manila`s Tourism Office and Office of the Building Official, barangay chairpersons, various NGOs (e.g., Grupo Kalinangan, SAHTA, ICOMOS PH) and the academe (e.g., Dela Salle University, Mapua University).
Photo from Mr. Erik Akpedonu and ICOMOS PhilippinesPhoto from Mr. Erik Akpedonu and ICOMOS PhilippinesPhoto from Mr. Erik Akpedonu and ICOMOS PhilippinesPhoto from Mr. Erik Akpedonu and ICOMOS Philippines
Mr. Akpedonu is co-author (with Fernando Zialcita) of “Endangered Splendor: Manila’s Architectural Heritage 1571-1960 (Volume 1: The Center)”, a complete compendium of Spanish, American and early independence period structures. The book chronicles the story of Manila’s rise during the galleon trade from a small port to the nation’s capital and the evolution of its heritage architecture. It is also a commentary on the current state of our built heritage, with discussions of current restoration practices, revitalization, and proposed economic uses for its preservation and protection. Book Preview: Facebook Watch
To know more about the book, visit and/or order in this link ➡️ http://bitly.ws/uGqb
Briel Lising graduated with a degree in AB History and a minor in Cultural Heritage from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2017. Since then, she has worked for Saint Pedro Poveda College and the Lopez Museum. Currently, she is teaching college freshmen in the Ateneo as part of the Department of History. Briel hopes that her internship with ICOMOS will help her gain knowledge and confidence to start a community-based heritage program for the city of Pasig. Through her experience in research and education, as well as a heart for heritage, she hopes to make valuable contributions to the research project with the guidance of her mentors under the ICOMOS Philippines Internship Program.
Briel’s mentors are ICOMOS Expert Members Chen Mencias and Gabriel Caballero. Chen Mencias is a tourism planning consultant who runs her own firm, Blue Water Consultancy and the the primary mentor of the research. Gab Caballero is a Landacape Architect based in Singapore, currently the Focal Point for Sustainable Development Goals of ICOMOS International. Briel will be working with Chen and Gab for research on the Role of Heritage Conservation as a Dimension of Sustainable Tourism in the Philippines.
We look forward to Briel’s contributions, welcome to the team!
Under the mentorship of Tina Paterno, I had my internship with ICOMOS Philippines in 2018. Together with Sen Roxas, we worked on understanding the state of conservation practices in the country: What sites get conserved? What are the methods being used? With these in mind, we kicked off our baseline research by gathering reports on conservation projects in the country, with emphasis on building typology, regional project distribution, funding, and conservation methodologies and practices.
“The work in ICOMOS Philippines gave me a good starting overview of cultural work being done in the country… The experience that I gained through my research helped prepare me for the challenges that come with setting up a museum, especially the research into an institution’s history.”
From emailing different government agencies, to scouring libraries, and getting access to reports, our work, though arduous, was made more fruitful by the help and insight offered by various ICOMOS Philippines members who willingly shared their experiences, opinions, and suggestion to aid our research. The experience that I gained in my ICOMOS internship has helped prepare me for the challenges of my current work and even beyond.
ICOMOS Philippines’ internship program equipped me with the necessary knowledge and background as I witnessed the work conducted by the National Museum and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. Currently, I am part of the development team of the Nayong Pilipino Foundation’s museum project, Museo ng Nayong Pilipino. Thanks to my ICOMOS experience, I am able to handle the challenges faced as we develop our collection and exhibits.
For interested students and or new graduates who would like to take internship with ICOMOS Philippines, please contact info@icomosphilippines.com
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 Alexandria28 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).
Fundacion Santiago and ICOMOS Philippines are looking for 2 research interns to develop first person stories for the Emilio Aguinaldo Shrine.
Interns will receive close mentorship in research and interpretation of historic data by a leading heritage expert as they conduct interviews, consolidate data from varying modes of research, and contextualize these into scenarios typical of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and told in first person by those near and dear to Emilio Aguinaldo.
Qualifications. Creative Writing, Theater, Social Sciences, Education, History, Anthropology, Sociology students; or emerging professionals, and graduates looking to gain experience in Heritage Interpretation, who are conscientious in handling important documents and materials; adept in research; comfortable in reading and communicating in Filipino & English; independent worker and team player.
For those interested, kindly send your cover letter and CV to internship.icomosfs@gmail.com on or before October 5, 2018.
Calling all university students and recent graduates! ICOMOS Philippines is looking for interns who will be part of our cultural heritage research.
Accepted applicants will research on heritage conservation-related studies, reports and ordinances of NGOs, government agencies, and LGUs. Findings from this body of work will help shape ICOMOS Philippines’ future approaches to protect and conserve our heritage.
Requirements. Currently enrolled students in a university or recent graduates are welcome to apply; with research and writing skills, as well as ability to summarize and synthesize data; independent worker and team player; interest in heritage is a plus.
For those interested, kindly send your cover letter and CV to info@icomosphilippines.com on or before March 3, 2018.
