A recently enacted law requires the National Commission on Culture and the Arts to assist local government in cultural mapping for the purpose of identifying and documenting all heritage resources.
President Marcos recently signed Republic Act 11961 titled “An Act Strengthening the Conservation and Protection of Philippine Cultural Heritage Through Cultural Mapping and Enhanced Cultural Heritage Education Program” that directed cultural agencies led by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to extend financial and technical support to local governments for the nationwide cultural mapping program.
RA 11961 amended RA 10066, the “National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009,” which provided for the identification and documentation of all heritage resources all over the country.
Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuete co-authored RA 11961.
“Improving our cultural mapping is important for our nation to see clearly our rich heritage and what we stand to lose. The imprints of our identity as Filipinos are numerous from our languages and traditions to food, craft and fashion,” Villafuerte said.
“With advances in transportation and communication technology, interaction and integration of cultures and economies become inevitable. Filipinos are increasingly open to assimilating what the rest of the world has to offer. In doing so, however, it is important to preserve our unique Filipino identity,” he added.
“Under the new law, local governments are required to do a mapping or inventory of locally- and nationally-declared cultural assets for the preservation and proper use of these movable and immovable assets along with other forms of tangible and intangible heritage,” Villafuerte said.
“Improving cultural mapping is important for our nation to see clearly our rich heritage and what we stand to lose if we fail to identify and document these assets. The imprints of our identity as Filipinos are numerous from our languages and traditions to food, craft and fashion,” he added.
Maricel V. Cruz