Tag: Climate Change

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ICOMOS Philippines Takes Part in the 2024 National Conference on Local History and Heritage

Dr. Laya Boquiren-Gonzales stirred the discussion with onsite participants. She moderated the open forum of the panel taking in questions from the diverse audience composed of other cultural workers and local heritage advocates.

ICOMOS Philippines led a panel discussion at the 2024 National Conference on Local History and Heritage (NCLHH) last August 29, 2024, in the Ayala Museum, Makati City. The panel with the title Heritage Conservation Practices in the Philippines was chaired and moderated by Dr. Laya Boquiren-Gonzales, PhD, and was composed of Ms. Maria Cristina Paterno, Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, and LAr. Gabriel Caballero.

Ms. Maria Cristina P. Paterno, Immediate Past President of ICOMOS Philippines and Projects Manager of Preserving Legacies presented “Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the Ifugao Rice Terraces: Preserving Legacies, A Future for Our Past.” She shared the findings and experience of the recently published study that looked into the values of the terraces for the local communities and how these values, rooted in Indigenous knowledge, are impacted by climate change, as well as contribute to strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity as they try to preserve and protect their cultural heritage by integrating modern climate science.

Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Vice President of ICOMOS Philippines and Country Director of the UNESCO-Heritage Emergency Fund project for the Historic City of Vigan presented “Saluad-Tawid: Conserving and Protecting Heritage Houses and Structures in the Historic City of Vigan After the 2022 Earthquake.” The recently concluded project provided valuable lessons for disaster risk management for cultural heritage and working in a multi-stakeholder environment.

LAr. Gabriel Victor A. Caballero, Focal Point for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of ICOMOS International presented “Pamana 2030: Local Case Profiles on Philippine Heritage and Sustainable Development Goals.” He presented selected efforts by the ICOMOS Sustainable Development Goals Working Group (SDGWG) to document heritage initiatives that intersect with SDGs.

Laya Boquiren-Gonzales, PhD, gave a short presentation about the upcoming initiative to document and safeguard the heritage of the devotion to the Santo Niño de Cebú in partnership with Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), one of the three landmark projects under the ‘Kabilin Partnership’ with ICOMOS Philippines.

Dr. Laya Boquiren-Gonzales stirred the discussion with onsite participants. She moderated the open forum of the panel taking in questions from the diverse audience composed of other cultural workers and local heritage advocates.

We in ICOMOS Philippines express our sincere gratitude and congratulations to the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, the organizers of the conference for the opportunity to share our work and on-ground experience towards a respected heritage profession in the country, and Philippine heritage that is conserved to the highest standards. We look forward to taking part again in the next NCLHH Conference.

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

#ICOMOSPH #NHCP #ParaSaPamana #Kabilin #HistoryMonth #PatuloySaPagtuklas #OurHistoryContinues #HeritageConservation #LHCN2024

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Project Report on the Climate Vulnerability Assessment of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras

Click here to download the Report

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.

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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.

Register today for zoom link here: https://bit.ly/RegisterPLI

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.

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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.

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ICOMOS Philippines joins Philippine Green Building Initiative

ICOMOS Philippines was invited to represent the heritage sector as a trustee of the Philippine Green Building Initiative (PGBI). In the photo are ICOMOS Philippines President Augusto F. Villalon and member Archt. Dominic Galicia at the induction of PGBI Board Members. They were sworn into office by Hon. Heherson Alvarez, Commissioner for Climate Change

PGBI is a non-profit, voluntary group of professional associations involved with the built-environment who share a common concern with the impacts of global warming and climate change. Its vision is to be the leader in developing a sustainable nation by promoting energy-efficient and environment-friendly design and construction.