Back in 2018, when the work of studying the existing spreadsheets of the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP) was given to me and my colleague Carissa Veloso, I got quite excited because the task gave us a chance to have a glimpse of the heritage registry encompassing the whole country. It was a challenge to check and assess over 5,000 entries that led me to uncover the gaps and successes across the different regions.
The analysis gave me headaches and long nights of work, but it was worth the effort. The research was essentially a diagnostic report on the registry of cultural properties across the country. I discovered that even though there were a lot of entries, many regions were underrepresented and numerous listings were problematic, such as listings of corporate establishments as cultural property.
Although I am currently more focused on the mainstream architecture practice, the brief exposure from the heritage field helped me to become more conscious in raising awareness about our built, intangible, and natural heritage in both my designs and in dealing with my clients. I am thankful for ICOMOS Philippines for providing me this opportunity.
For interested students or new graduates who would like to take internship with the organization, please contact info@icomosphilippines.com
With more activities online and new collaborations between members and external partners are happening, ICOMOS Philippines is happy to share that we will have a new intern working with us for the next three months: Kenneth J. Tua is a registered & licensed architect and a sustainable territorial development consultant. He is currently taking his Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in DYnamics of Cultural Landscape, heritage, Memory and conflictualities (DYCLAM+) in Europe under the ERASMUS+ Scholarship. Previously, Kenneth worked with HBA and RMDA and at the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines – Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.
He decided to apply as an intern for ICOMOS Philippines during his summer break from his masters degree to be able to incorporate his ongoing studies in Sustainable Heritage Management and Cultural Landscapes at the Philippine setting. Moreover, Kenneth wants to be of great service in creating advocacies in galvanizing solutions for the Philippine cultural heritage. In collaboration with members of the International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL), Mr. Gabriel Caballero and Dr. Susan Aquino-Ong, Kenneth will be starting a research that will look into how heritage conservation can potentially be integrated to landscape architecture programs in the country.
Welcome, Kenneth! We’re very pleased to have your assistance.
This public lecture provides a colorful, visual overview of the clothing of men and women of varying ages, political positions and occupations in diverse contexts and spaces in nineteenth century Spanish Philippines.
ICOMOS Lighter Side Talk: Clothing and Spaces 11 July 2020 (Saturday) | 3PM Philippine Standard Time
Drawing from a wide variety of iconographic (tipós filipinos, letras y figuras, visual costumbrismo), textual (literary costumbrismo, novels, correspondences), material (actual garments, textiles) sources, the first part presents clothes as social skin and examines the meaning of clothes in different social spaces and situations (e.g. tertulia, paseo, bailé, etc).
The second part focuses on the narratives that can be generated by looking into selected Spanish, French and German heritage or preservation spaces.
The third part discusses how knowledge gained from researching about clothing in selected European repositories can be applied to today’s exhibition scenes and spaces, e.g. bodily, physical, literary, artistic, theatrical, production spaces,etc.
SPEAKER
Stephanie Coo is a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the Departmento de Historia del Arte, Universidad de Granada, Spain. She holds a PhD in History from Université Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, Master of Arts in History and Bachelor of Science in Management degrees from the Ateneo de Manila University, where she served as Assistant Professor and Coordinator for Internationalization of the Loyola Schools. She is the author of Clothing the Colony: Nineteenth-century Philippine Sartorial Culture, 1820-1896 (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2019).
Dr. Stephanie Coo’s public lecture on “Clothing and Spaces” is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 754446 and Universidad de Granada Research and Knowledge Transfer Fund – Athenea3i.
DETAILS
The public lecture, “ICOMOS Lighter Side Talks: Clothing and Spaces”, is scheduled this Saturday, July 11 – 3 pm (Philippine Standard Time).
ICOMOS México, through its Scientific Committee of Theory and Philosophy, together with its Secretariat of Academic Development and Youth and Heritage Group, organized last Tuesday, June 23, 2020 an online discussion entitled, “Los Retos de la Conservación del Patrimonio Cultural y Natural Frente a Condiciones de Riesgo”. It discussed on the present challenges of cultural and natural heritage conservation as it faces risky conditions in its continued practice amidst the global pandemic.
The panel in the online discussion included ICOMOS Philippines President Tina Paterno, who shared the current situation of heritage specialists and practitioners in the country on her presentation entitled, “A View Towards Recovery: Focus Group Discussions on Heritage During the Pandemic”.
Ms Paterno shared findings from several local discussions on how ICOMOS Philippines members are seeing the changes in the heritage practice in their fields of expertise. A common emerging theme was the necessity to explore how heritage can be part of recovery, perhaps by linking it to new national priorities. Generally, many ICOMOS Philippines members saw ideas for continuing a heritage practice amidst Covid 19, during in the mandated pause we are all going through, to re-evaluate where the Philippines is in the practice, and identify where structural improvements are necessary. She also shared two success stories from the past discussions.
“We have a chance to do things differently,” Paterno concluded, “and the accessibility of discussions and knowledge moving online is a great ‘democratizer’ for learning. Our hope is that one day, heritage becomes a more mainstream issue and it happened from a time that there was this major pause and painful time from COVID but it was able to give birth to something truly positive.”
WEBINARS & FOCUSED GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Starting June 2020, ICOMOS Philippines held free public webinars to think about heritage in a differently because of the current global situation. The first webinar was entitled, “Place-Making and Food Security: Thinking of Heritage Conservation and Food Production,” which explored the mechanisms that shape rural and urban spaces, private and public, facilitating food production and place-making grounded in community-based participation. It provided various perspectives that link food and the understanding of historic significance of particular places.
The online discussion can be viewed on the official Facebook page of ICOMOS México. ICOMOS Philippines would like to thank Mr. Yoloxochitl Lucio of the Grupo Jóvenes y Patrimonio del ICOMOS Mexicano A.C. and Dr. Saúl Alcántara Onofre, ICOMOS México President for the invitation.
This webinar discusses community engagement that is applicable to built heritage and landscapes, using perhaps the most abstract form of heritage that seems most removed from our lives – archaeology.
To communities, the site is invisible until digging begins, and relics unearthed are from so long ago that few can relate to it. Explore these archaeologists’ stories in their journeys to empower local communities to own their archaeological heritage. Work includes public consultations, community discussions, collaborative research and interpretation, and on-ground educational activities as methods that lead to better public learning and heritage protection.
ICOMOS Webinar Series Episode 2: When Communities Engage – Tools for Community Participation in Heritage 7 July 2020 (Tuesday) | 10AM Philippine Standard Time
The webinar will focus on providing answers to two main questions:
How does archaeology improve the lives of communities that live in and around these precious cultural sites?
What are the tools and approaches in archaeology that are used for learning and public engagement and are these tools still valid given the pandemic?
SPEAKERS
Dr. Stephen Acabado is an ICOMOS Philippines member and Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His archaeological investigations in Ifugao, Northern Philippines dispute the commonly held theory that the Cordillera Rice Terraces are at least 2,000 years old. Dr. Acabado directs the Bicol and Ifugao Archaeological Projects and co-directs the Taiwan Indigenous Landscape and History Project at UCLA. He is a strong advocate of an engaged archaeology where descendant communities are involved in the research process.
Mr. Marlon Martin was born and raised among the Ifugao community. He heads SITMo, the Save Ifugao Terraces Movement, non-profit heritage conservation organization. He works with local and international academic and conservation organizations in the pursuit of indigenous studies integration and inclusion in the formal school curricula. Along with Acabado, he established the first community-led Ifugao Indigenous Peoples Education Center, the first in the region.
Dr. Rasmi Shoocongdej is a Professor of Archaeology and a director of the graduate program at the Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, and with an MA-Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of Michigan. Rasmi’s areas of interest include the collaborative approach between archaeology and ethnic communities, archaeological heritage management, World War II archaeology and decolonizing archaeology. She has been working intensively on public outreach to the general public and academic communities on cultural heritages and the role of archaeology in contemporary society.
REACTORS
There will also be 2 reactors who will be providing their perspectives on the topic:
Malaya Ragragio, faculty member of the Department of Social Sciences at the University of the Philippines, Mindanao
Angelus Maria Sales, Core Operations Head – External from TAO-Pilipinas, Inc.
MODERATOR
Ms. Kate Lim is an ICOMOS Philippines member who is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Geographical Sciences, Freie Universitat Berlin. She is also an archaeologist and a development worker who sits as a board member in the Artists’ Welfare Project, Inc., Kapisanan ng mga Arkeologist sa Pilipinas, and Tuklas Pilipinas Society. Her current research involves risk assessment and conservation of maritime and underwater heritage sites in the Philippines given various human activities and coastal hazards.
DETAILS
The webinar, “When Communities Engage – Tools for Community Participation in Heritage”, is scheduled this Tuesday, July 7, 2020 – 10 am (Philippine Standard Time).
This forms part of the project, “Heritage Practice amidst the Pandemic“, which is a series of online discussions that delves with opportunities to explore new ideas for the Philippine heritage practice.
ICOMOS Philippines would like to thank ICOMOS Thailand, Tuklas Pilipinas, Tao Pilipinas Inc., University of the Philippines Archaeological Studies Program, and Intramuros Administration for co-organizing the event with us.
The ICOMOS Annual Report for 2019 was recently published and its shows the work of the international organisation of ICOMOS and its various National Committees and International Scientific Committees. ICOMOS also remembers the dedicated work of members and colleagues who have passed away during the previous year. A small tribute to Ms Jocelyn Mananghaya, former Trustee of ICOMOS Philippines can be found on page 37 of the annual report. ICOMOS Philippines further recognizes Ms Mananghaya’s contribution to the organization and the advancement of the heritage practice in the Philippines in this tribute.
Maria Joycelyn Bolhayon-Mananghaya
January 1, 1965 – September 17, 2019
ICOMOS Philippines remembers the passing of Architect Maria Joycelyn Bolhayon-Mananghaya who was a former Board of Trustee of the Philippine Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Her heritage advocacy was focused on the conservation of the World Heritage Sites in the Philippines and for several years, she served as the National Commission on Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) consultant for world heritage concerns. Arch. Mananghaya also served as Secretary to the NCCA National Committee on Monuments and Sites from 2011 to 2013 and was part of UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.
Joy, as she is fondly called by family and friends, had a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of nature, culture and people. She was a member of the ICOMOS International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and was part of the global discourse on world heritage issues. She wrote extensively about the living cultural landscape of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras and her contributions to the book, “World Heritage: Benefits Beyond Borders” was well recognized by her peers. She undertook expert missions and provided reviews for cultural/natural heritage nominated properties and was designated as the focal point for periodic reporting of world heritage properties in the Philippines.
A graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Architecture, Joy pursued higher education at the Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía Manuel del Castillo Negrete in Mexico with a Masters in Architecture Degree. Throughout her life, she generously mentored and nurtured countless students and emerging professionals, many of whom have become respected practitioners of heritage conservation in the Philippines. Architect Mananghaya’s passion and service continue to inspire us, and we will miss her very much.
ICOMOS Philippines recognises that the heritage practice in the country has been affected by the global pandemic. Now, more than ever, practitioners need to see the work of conserving heritage in a different light.
ICOMOS Philippines believes that heritage needs to connect to national priorities and be part of a shifting focus on food security, health, well-being, and peace and order, while a viable vaccine is being created.
As part of the project, “Heritage Practice amidst the Pandemic“, ICOMOS Philippines is launching a series of online discussions that will delve with opportunities to explore new ideas for the Philippine heritage practice.
The first webinar is entitled, “Place-Making and Food Security – Thinking of Heritage Conservation and Food Production”, which will explore mechanisms that shape rural and urban spaces, private and public, that facilitate food production and place-making grounded in community-based participation. It will also provide various perspectives that link food and the understanding of historic significance of particular places.
The webinar will focus on providing answers to two main questions:
How can the heritage practitioners improve a community’s cultural, economic, social circumstances while preserving the environment?
How do you facilitate food production and place making grounded in community-based participation?
SPEAKERS
A dynamic group of heritage professionals, all of whom are members of ICOMOS Philippines, will be sharing their points of view on the integration of food production and heritage conservation:
Dr. Fernando Nakpil-Zialcita is Professor Emeritus, teaching at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the Ateneo de Manila University. He has done field research among farming communities in the Ilocos, Northern Luzon, and has done studies on urban heritage and regeneration of Manila. He writes about the interface between the Southeast Asian and the Hispanic worlds in domains of Filipino culture such as traditional architecture, cookery, and popular Christianity.
Ms. Patricia Maria Santiago is a cultural manager with 25 years of experience who sits on the Board of Nayong Pilipino Foundation. She is part of “Sustainable Sagada,” an online support market for local produce of farmers from Sagada which aims to help bring local produce to reach consumers in Manila, to support their sustainability not only during times of economic crisis but even beyond.
Ms. Estela Duque is an architect, historian, social entrepreneur, certified chocolate taster, and chocolate competition judge in Europe. A practitioner based in the United Kingdom, she founded Moulinet Chocolat Limited (UK) in 2015 in order to introduce Philippine specialty cocoa to the world, and since 2017 she has been an adviser to the only craft chocolate event of the Philippines now called Intramuros Chocolate Festival.
Mr. Gabriel Caballero is the Communications Officer of ICOMOS Philippines. He is a Singapore-based landscape architect and independent world heritage specialist whose expertise ranges from sensitive landscape design interventions, cultural landscape research, and world heritage evaluations particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas in Asia. He will serve as the moderator for this webinar.
DETAILS
The webinar, “Place-Making and Food Security: Thinking of Heritage Conservation and Food Production”, is scheduled this Saturday, June 20, 2020 – 6pm (Philippine Standard Time).
This forms part of the project, “Heritage Practice amidst the Pandemic“, which is a series of online discussions that delves with opportunities to explore new ideas for the Philippine heritage practice.
ICOMOS Philippines would like to thank the Intramuros Administration for co-organizing the event with us.
For those who would like to be part of the conversation, please watch the webinar via our Facebook Live where the speakers will be able to get your questions and respond: www.facebook.com/icomosph
ICOMOS Philippines is very pleased to welcome its new members for the year 2020! Get to know them as we share with you a brief of their profile and expertise.
Kinna Mae G. Kwan
Kinna is a researcher and heritage practitioner. She received her Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Studies from the University of Santo Tomas and is currently studying Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the Philippines. Her thesis, which earned a meritissimus (highest merit) recognition, focused on social value of historic sites hinged on community memories and attachment to places.
She works as a project-based researcher at the UST Graduate School–Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics. Her present work at the center involves cultural mapping, drafting of conservation management plans, and providing technical assistance to local government units and heritage managers across the country. As an advocate of heritage and culture in the public sector, she has worked with government institutions such as the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, National Commission for Culture and the Arts (PCEP), Department of Tourism, Philippine Postal Corp., and served as a consultant in her hometown, Guiuan. She previously worked for the Lopez Museum and Library and the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation.
She is also active in refugee research and has been collaborating with UNHCR in studying the Philippines’ history of refugee assistance. Her focus is on the 5th Wave when the Philippines became a transit country for White Russian refugees in 1949. Her research led her to major archives in Australia, USA and France, and was published in The Journal of History.
Last 24 May 2020, ICOMOS Philippines members and friends met up over zoom to have a “Lighter Side Talk” entitled, “The Basics of Baybayin”. The talk was conducted by prominent broadcaster, Howie Severino and his wife and environmental lawyer Ipat Luna.
After a short presentation on the history and typologies of ancient Philippine text, participants brought their pens out to do impromptu writing in baybayin, which everyone enjoyed.
Howie Severino believes that, “Baybayin is a window to understanding nature, culture, history, heritage, identity, at iba pa, which is why it’s so compelling.”
Fan-art by Fung Yu
ICOMOS Philippine member, Fung Yu created a fan-art of the ICOMOS Philippines logo, which brings a Filipino brand to the international prominence of ICOMOS. What do you think about his interpretation?
Veggie packs or cake that were awarded during the talk and members decided to donate these prizes to Covid-19 frontliners, homeless and workers in Baclaran.
ICOMOS Lighter Side Talks was conceptualized by the ICOMOS Philippines Board of Trustees to explore unexplored conversations and lighter topics of heritage and culture for the benefit of ICOMOS Philippine members.
Even with the Enhanced Community Quarantine, heritage work continues. ICOMOS Philippines is fortunate to have a new intern working with us remotely for the next three months: Isaiah Cabañero is an advocate of community development and believes in the agency of the people to effect change in transforming their lives and society for the better. He majored in 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.
Isaiah contacted ICOMOS Philippines regarding an internship because of his interest in cultural heritage conservation which has continued to seep through his work. He believes that “scientific and technological methods in conservation strategies must go hand-in-hand with the economic and socio-cultural knowledge of local communities in order for efforts to be sustainable and become, ultimately, for the people.” He will be continuing the Project Alexandria research which will be done in collaboration with the ICOMOS Philippines Secretariat and Trustee, Kara Garilao. He will also be assisting the organisation with the planned focus group discussions and other communications projects.
Welcome, Isaiah! We’re very pleased to have your assistance.
