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.
Last March 2024, marked the third quarter of the implementation of the first Heritage Emergency Fund [HEF] granted to the Republic of the Philippines by UNESCO.
UNESCO Jakarta under the leadership of Moe Chiba, Culture Unit Head, and Rizky Fardhyan, Project Coordinator, visited Vigan City to observe and support the activities spurred by the HEF. Their visit coincided with events around Vigan from the 11th to 13th of March, and they witnessed major milestones achieved by expert team, visiting and local students and professors, and the stakeholders of Vigan.
One activity was the HEF capacity-building training program whose audience were the homeowner’s, custodians, contractors, technicians, tradespersons and other concerned stakeholders of the WHS Historic City of Vigan. Not only were they given lectures about Vigan specific topics, but they were also involved in a hands-on workshop to try their hand at mixing lime mortar and also attempting traditional joinery.
Another highlight were the activities at Tadena Hall at University of Northern Philippines where Hong Kong University and University of the Northern students presented their documentation of fifteen priority ancestral vernacular houses that they completed in about a week with the aide of digital documentation.
Lastly, there was Town Hall Meeting where homeowners and local stakeholders had an open forum to discuss the challenges of recovery and also how to move forward as a community sustainably and effectively.
This activity was supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country Project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
Being inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list requires the coordination of committed stakeholders to nominate a site. The process is a painstaking endeavor which requires a detailed and well-organized document called a nomination file. The file then is scrutinized by a series of bodies and committees. They will decide if the property meets the criteria for a prestigious World Heritage Site inscription. From end to end, it is a community-based process that shows that stakeholders are willing and able to commit to safeguarding the inscribed property. However, although complex, inscription is just one process and keeping that status is another.
Maintenance of World Heritage Site status in the Philippines is a daunting task in an environment where earthquakes, typhoons and fire are frequent occurrences. Since World Heritage properties are ultimately the responsibility of the stakeholders, they must strive to maintain the site’s exceptional significance, authenticity, and integrity. Some benefits from stakeholder involvement is a sense of ownership, a pride of place and a closer-knit community. These core values are what truly sustain the World Heritage Site and ensure their existence in the future.
UNESCO Regional Office in Jakarta paid a courtesy visit from December 10 – 12, 2023 to the Historic City of Vigan. Director Ms. Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa and Mr. Rizky Fardhyan were able to inspect the heritage core of the city to note the extent of damage of the earthquake of July 2022. They paid a courtesy call and met with Mayor “Bonito” C. Singsong, Jr., a key stakeholder and focal person, to brief the purpose of the present restoration efforts and to strengthen its collaboration with the City of Vigan. UNESCO Jakarta reaffirmed its support and willingness to engage in further recovery discussions.
A Courtesy Call by UNESCO Jakarta, ICOMOS Philippines and Local Stakeholders was paid to the Office of the Mayor, “Bonito” C. Singson, Jr., (Photo Credit: ICOMOS Philippines, John Ray Ramos
Director Katsuno-Hayashikawa emphasized the importance of site visits to understand the local context through actual observation of conditions on the ground. This allows UNESCO to assess if the scope of work [Heritage Emergency Fund’s project for the Historic City of Vigan] is appropriate and is progressing well – also, to anticipate any further issues that may need exploration or response.
The visit was of the utmost importance for UNESCO Jakarta so that they could observe Vigan’s stakeholder involvement and their cooperation in all the activities. Although there is some funding in place and some specialists involved, it is through the collective work of the local stakeholders that the Historic City of Vigan will be, in due course, restored. Without active local stakeholder’s participation, these efforts would be performed in a vacuum without any real and sustainable impacts for which the funds promote.
Burnay Jars, left: Collapsed Kiln of a Ruby Jar Factory, right: RG Jar Factory Kiln (Photo Credit: ICOMOS Philippines, Kenneth Javier Tua, left photo, and from LGU Vigan, Ar. Christian Nico Pilotin, right photo)
Weavers of Inabel: Member of Vigan Conservation Council and one of the experts of the UNESCO-ICOMOS Philippines team – Ar. / EnP. Fatima Nicetas Rabang-Alonzo consulting with local weaver on the status of livelihood after pandemic and the 2022 earthquake (Photo Credit: ICOMOS Philippines, Kenneth Javier Tua)
At the heart of every program of UNESCO is that “all the key stakeholders engage from the outset [as] a top priority.” These partnerships are the bedrock of any engagement with UNESCO. The relationship emphasizes the importance of common purpose, mutual accountability, and a willingness to share risks as well as the benefits. These successful partnerships strengthen the impact of UNESCO’s programs.
Country Project Director Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua and Project Management Team member explore Masonry Failure at the Cabildo (Old) House (Photo credit: ICOMOS Philippines, John Ray Ramos)
Among the outputs that speak directly to the recovery efforts in Vigan is stakeholder capacity-building. Aligning with UNESCO’s objectives, this is empowering the locals to understand and implement the policies of the World Heritage Convention. This strengthens another objective, which is the proper restoration of the Historic City of Vigan. Moving towards recovery, this fosters internal and external communication that builds knowledge, awareness, involvement, and support. Then, the community works together and contributes collaboratively towards a balanced testimony of cultural properties of outstanding universal value.
Inspection by both local and ICOMOS expert teams of earthquake damage and temporary shoring (Photo credit: Ar. Christian Nico Pilotin of LGU Vigan)
The courtesy visit coincided with Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF) expert teams from ICOMOS Philippines who are collaborating with local architects, material specialists and engineers. Seeing the relationship and mutual engagement demonstrated the importance of planning, coordination, and transparency in exploring solutions that uphold the significance of the site.
The stakeholders, particularly the homeowners, showed a keen interest in comprehending the procedures and tests being conducted. Their cooperation proved instrumental in granting the specialist teams access to the houses, facilitating the mapping of damage, and pinpointing potential causes of deterioration. The Local Government Unit of Vigan actively responded to inquiries from UNESCO Jakarta, narrating their own personal experiences and showcasing their progress made on the path to recovery.
Ma’am Maria Milagros “Mitos” P. Belofsky of Syquia Mansion narrated the story of the Syquia Mansion [and exchanged experiences ongoing restoration work] with UNESCO Jakarta Director Ms. Maki Katsuno-Hayashikawa and Mr. Rizky Fardhyan, and Country Project Director Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua (ICOMOS Philippines, John Ray Ramos)
Notably, the Syquia Mansion underwent intensive activities to bolster the structure and preserve its historical significance by addressing considerable damage to the walls, ceilings, and the floor joists. The local stakeholders employed extensive shoring throughout the building. Of high importance were the stakeholders’ stories about the history of the building and its collections, and how they were maintained until the earthquake of 2022.
This collaborative effort between the Local Government Unit of Vigan, UNESCO Jakarta, and ICOMOS Philippines aims to revitalize the Historic City of Vigan sustainably. Although much destruction was wrought by the earthquake, restoration is actively underway; and, by working together, all partners seek to work synergistically to ensure the city’s ongoing authenticity and significance as a World Heritage Site.
On October 23, 2023, a landmark initiative unfolded in the Historic City of Vigan, Philippines, as UNESCO Jakarta, in collaboration with ICOMOS Philippines and with the vital support of the Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), launched a year-long project dedicated to safeguarding of the Historic City of Vigan. The local governmental unit, under the helm of Mayor Jose “Bonito” C. Singson, Jr., welcomed the UNESCO-ICOMOS Philippines project teams and local stakeholders.
The scope of the project concentrates on two pilot sites which represent common building types in Vigan. The two homes identified by ICOMOS Philippines are the Syquia Mansion and the Cabildo Old House. Enthusiastically, the very same day that the HEF was inaugurated ICOMOS Philippines had already started onsite analytic activities which marked the inaugural implementation of the HEF initiative in the Philippines, underlining its significance in addressing the aftermath of such calamities.
Please see the article in the Philippine Star Lifestyle and Arts section. Read here ➡️ https://bitly.ws/33hPK
This activity is supported by the UNESCO Heritage Emergency Fund. We wish to thank its donors: the Qatar Fund for Development, the Government of Canada, the Kingdom of Norway, the French Republic, the Principality of Monaco, the Republic of Estonia, ANA Holdings INC, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the Principality of Andorra, the Republic of Serbia.
Concerned stakeholders who are interested in providing in-kind contribution, you may contact Ar. Kenneth Javier Tua, Country Project Director, through kenneth.javier.tua@icomosphilippines.com and cc.: info@icomosphilippines.com. Let’s protect and promote our diverse cultural heritage together.
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
ICOMOS Philippines was tasked by UNESCO Multi-sectoral Regional Office in Jakarta, Indonesia to consolidate findings of several post-earthquake assessments into a situational analysis report on the damage to the Historic City of Vigan in the July 2022 earthquake. National agencies have prioritized several public structures while privately owned heritage houses have had no immediate access to support. Following the assessment, the UNESCO Jakarta’s Heritage Emergency Fund was one of the grants recommended by ICOMOS Philippines for the World Heritage site to apply. Though the fund is limited and cannot cover full restoration work, it is to be utilized to pursue technical scientific studies that can benefit and be applied to most of the ancestral houses, having a ripple effect. These studies will ensure that the majority of the damaged structures will be restored efficiently and be compliant to local and international standards.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Multi-sectoral Regional Office covers Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste. ICOMOS is one of the advisory bodies to UNESCO in the conservation of World Heritage Sites. Please see the article today in the Philippine Daily Inquirer Lifestyle and Arts section.
To provide how management and conservation of heritage places can give a dynamic and mutually beneficial role in society today and long into the future, the People-Nature-Culture (PNC) World Heritage Leadership (WHLP), a capacity-building programme delivered by IUCN, ICCROM, UNESCO World Heritage Centre, and other organizations, with the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment and other partners, is established to equip heritage site managers worldwide.
Among the fully-funded scholars is ICOMOS PH member Dr. Laya Boquiren Gonzales, who was invited to participate and present at the PNC Forum, which celebrated the conclusion of the 2017-2022 Korea-ICCROM Funds in Trust, the approaching completion of Phase I of the World Heritage Leadership Programme (WHLP) and the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. The event was held from October 10 – 12, 2022 in Suwon, Republic of Korea (ROK)
Dr. Boquiren – Gonzales presented “How can we establish good governance arrangements that ensure they benefit from the conservation of those places?” on Day 2 under the theme of Who benefits from heritage.
Dr. Laya Boquiren – Gonzales presents the case on the Interlinkages of Built Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the C’s of Governance at the PNC Forum
Dr. Boquiren-Gonzales provided highlights on her presentation from the forum:
The conservation of the Santiago Apostol Parish in Betis, Guagua, Pampanga, a National Cultural Treasure, is an excellent case of community-based safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and application of the C’s of Governance, including the following:
collaboration of management actors;
concerted efforts of multiple stakeholders including local champions;
conservation anchored on a sense of collective devotion and pride and not only tourism as the sole motivation;
coordination among a consulting committee;
collaboration of local cooperatives for the safeguarding of ICH;
celebrations that dramatize the significance of traditions and honor collective memory;
contracting technical experts in the conservation of built heritage, a convergence of space of interests;
consensus and coalition-building;
cooperation strengthened by social relationships; and
collective pride rooted in one’s occupational identity and place affinity.
The claiming of public spaces (SDG 11.5 and SDG 11.7), originally intended for disaster mitigation, became an intergenerational significance collective skills formation anchored on place wisdom (the space is now an artisans’ haven and eco park).
Substantial impacts include the integration of woodcarving into the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system by local champions and acknowledgment of the need to integrate heritage into basic educational pedagogy. Heritage, including intangible properties, provide livelihood (SDG 8) entrepreneurial opportunities beyond mere employment (SDG 10), a sense of well-being and contentment, pride, social cohesion, and place affinity. It is life itself.
The conservation of built heritage and safeguarding of craft production unfold in relationships forged over time across levels of the locality. Decisions are arrived at through consensus. Concerted efforts are the product of coalition-building.
Ideally, cooperation is institutionalized or formalized under the coordinated efforts of national government agencies and provincial and municipal governments. When the local government and national government agencies enter the picture, the conservation of built heritage and safeguarding of the intangibles must be achieved through efficient planning and mobilization of resources, and reflected in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs); implemented in Programs, Projects, and Activities (PPAS); and audited using the right monitoring and evaluation tools.
Conservation efforts are best protected by legislation and enshrined in the constitution. However, the strength of implementing the terms of such arrangements and the rule of legislation are just as potent as the combined aspirations of communities. Therefore, community empowerment and collective action must persist above all.
