CEBU CITY (August 1, 2022) — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines is launching August as “History Month” tomorrow, August 2, 5 p.m. at the historic Fort San Pedro, with a program that would include the unveiling of the logo for the 125th (2023) celebration of Philippine independence and nationhood.

Bryner Diaz. (PIO/File)

Bryner Diaz, Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Office head, said the declaration of August as history month is enshrined in Proclamation No. 339 series of 2012.

According to the proclamation, “there is a need to transfer the observance of History Week from 15 to 21 September to the whole month of August and rename the occasion as “History Month” to emphasize the most significant turning points in Philippine history”.

This is because “major events in the nation’s history occurred in the month of August which concludes with National Heroes Day on 30 August” and that a week of remembering is not enough.

NHCP Chairman Rene Escalante and his commissioners will lead the launching, which will also have as speaker City Councilor Dondon Hontiveros, chairman of the City Council committee on tourism, arts, and culture.

The launching will also be attended by members of the country’s Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN), which will have its general assembly here in the city on August 4.

The LHCN, which is under the office of the NHCP chairman, was formed in 2012 to “monitor, coordinate, support and, upon approval of the [NHCP] Board, affiliate various local historical bodies engaged in the collection, documentation, popularization, conservation, restoration and preservation of extant historical materials found in different parts of the Philippines. It shall also record the oral histories of towns, cities, provinces, regions and peoples”. 

In line with the celebration of “History Month” held every month of August, a book sale of selected publications by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) is held at the Cebu City Museum on August 1-4, 2022. (PIO/Allan Cuizon)

Diaz said that among CHAO’s activities for “History Month” was a seminar on the national flag and heraldic code participated in by teachers, barangay officials, policemen and soldiers, last August 1

Among others, the workshop taught participants about the proper folding of the flag, proper disposal of tattered and torn flags, and the right way to display the flag.

Diaz said the participants were also taught about the naming and renaming of streets.

Today, August 2, the participants learned about basic historical method as well as local history writing.

One of the “History Month” seminars by the City Cultural and Historical Affairs Office is that on the county’s flag and heraldic code that includes a demonstration on the proper folding of the flag. (Photo/Bryner Diaz)

Diaz said CHAO will also launch soon the “Bayaning Sugboanon” oil on canvass portrait painting contest.

His office is also digitizing their old books and manuscripts, including a century old 350-page Bisaya-Spanish-Bisaya dictionary, an 1899 “Atlas de Filipinas”, and very old collection of religious songs.

There is also an ongoing “book sale” by NHCP at the Rizal Library Building museum, which will be transferred at Fort San Pedro tomorrow as part of the activity.  (PIO/rhm)

Staff from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) digitize archival documents from the collection of the Cebu City Museum. Digitization is one of the ways of preserving artifacts and objects. (Photo: Cultural and Historical Affairs Office – Cebu City)