Collaboration to conserve, promote heritage underscored in summit

By Jose Santino S. Bunachita
PIO Staff Member

CEBU CITY (Dec.1, 2022) – Heritage stakeholders pushed for improved collaboration to conserve and promote historical and cultural heritage in the city.

Heritage lawyer Lucille Karen Isberto said that, even without a national masterplan on heritage, the local government unit can have its own, which can be enforceable within its jurisdiction.

“Today, a lot of us are here as duty bearers, people with the job to take care of heritage. I hope the next two days will help us define what that job is,” she said in her talk at the 1st Heritage Summit here at Radisson Hotel.

Isberto is among the battery of speakers at the summit held until tomorrow. She discussed about Philippine heritage laws.

She explained that there are already existing national laws that promote heritage, such as Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.

But there has to be local efforts to make sure that the law is implemented on the ground, she pointed out.

Among others, Isberto recommended that the city should document and assess all cultural heritage projects undertaken in Cebu City over the years and to create an archive of it.

The city should also create a roadmap for conservation and safeguarding of Cebu City heritage, she said.

“Cebu City should plan and implement programs based on the mission, vision, and goals in the roadmap while regularly reviewing the same in coordination with national cultural agencies,” she added.

“Cebu City should plan and implement programs based on the mission, vision, and goals in the roadmap while regularly reviewing the same in coordination with national cultural agencies.”

Heritage lawyer Lucille Karen Isberto

This is one of the objectives of the Cebu City Heritage Summit – to craft a Cebu City Heritage Charter.

This charter is seen to help the city implement its own City Ordinance No. 2582, or the Cultural Heritage and Heritage Site Declaration, Protection, and Preservation Ordinance.

Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, as chairperson of the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC), formally opened the summit this morning.

Garcia said CHAC will ratify the Heritage Charter that will be produced in the summit, then submit it to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for adoption.

“This historical event will be an avenue for us to have definite discussion, discourse, and also, in a sense, a celebration of what makes us unique as a community,” he said.

Speakers during the first day of the summit included environmental planner Ruel Rigor, who talked about the natural heritage of Cebu. He explained that natural resources, too, have cultural value.

Meanwhile, CHAC commissioner Dr. Erlinda Alburo talked about the intangible cultural heritage of Cebu.

Intangible heritage, she explained, refers to the tradition-based creations of a cultural community. As such, these should also be preserved and promoted.

Intangible heritage includes language, orature, oral history, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and skills used to produce traditional crafts, performing arts, and traditional games, among others.

City officials, CHAC commissioners, business owners, academic leaders and other heritage advocates attended the summit today.

Councilors Francis Esparis, Dondon Hontiveros, Jaypee Labella and Noel Wenceslao were among city officials who came here. # (PIO/JSSBunachita)

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