LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—The National Commission on Culture and the Arts wants local government units around the country to create their local councils for culture and arts to help in preserving and protecting the rich culture and heritage of the people in various parts of the archipelago.
Speaking before the huge crowd that gathered at the Wangal Sports Complex during the celebration of the 30th founding anniversary of the Cordillera Administrative Region, NCCA Executive Director Rico Pableo Jr. said the creation of local councils for culture and arts will be included as one of the criteria for judging local governments for their compliance to the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance this year.
He said the NCCA and the Department of the Interior and Local Government will be issuing a joint memorandum circular in the coming weeks outlining the details on how local governments can create their own councils of culture and arts for the aggressive promotion of culture and arts that should be inculcated into the minds of today’s youth for them to appreciate their own rich culture and heritage.
Further, the NCCA official claimed the local councils for culture and arts will help the national government complete the local registry of cultural properties to help decision-makers in deciding what to preserve and protect by either marking the same as historical landmarks, historical sites or national treasure.
He explained the region’s renewed quest for autonomy is one of the possible remedies to help the region preserve its rich culture and heritage, especially as elders can transfer to the youth such important practices that should be passed on through generations.
Pableo admitted achieving the region’s aspirations of self-governance, local leaders and the people must have the commitment to pursue a common direction, adopt to the prevailing situation and for them to have the ability to rationalize things for the benefit of the present and future generations.
He disclosed the Cordillera is a prime example of a region with a unique culture and heritage that must be preserved and protected and the only way to sustain the same is to be able to transfer the culture to the younger ones for them to observe and practice.
Pableo said the present administration is one with the Cordillera in trying to achieve autonomy in its third attempt to establish an autonomous region as it is viewed as the ultimate solution in speeding up infrastructure development and moving the people out from the shackles of poverty.
According to him, preserving and protecting the region’s unique culture and heritage will contribute in the development of the region because it will establish the region’s permanent identity.
Pableo expressed confidence that Cordillera local governments will be able to create their own local councils for culture and the arts even without the joint memorandum circular so that they can start focusing on the documentation of their culture and heritage to serve as a good reference for the present and future generations of Cordillerans to appreciate and further develop.