The Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) officially opened its first hybrid Research Summit on November 22 at the National Library of the Philippines Auditorium in Manila as part of its 50th-anniversary celebration.
This year’s theme “Kultura para sa Likas-Kayang Pag-unlad / Culture for Sustainable Development” is aligned with the overall theme of the commemoration: “Noon, Nayon, Bukas: Pamana at Pagsibol ng Bagong Nayon.”
The research summit aims to highlight the importance of culture in the effective achievement of sustainable local and national development. It echoes the theme of the NPF’s fiftieth anniversary in emphasizing the role the natural and cultural heritage plays towards the attainment of a brighter future for all.
“It could not be more timely that this summit is happening today as we get to inculcate the crucial role of culture and heritage in the overall planning for economic development. It is about time we put our distinct Filipino culture front and center, so much so to drive a Filipino sense of identity and respect for heritage across the Philippines,” said NPF Executive Director Gertie Duran-Batocabe.
“I am very pleased to let you know that the NPF has been hard at work, first and foremost, to fulfill its core mandate in developing hubs, spaces, activities, green infrastructure projects, and research and knowledge production initiatives that utilize innovation and creative potential as catalysts for sustainable national development,” she added.
Batocabe also expressed her gratitude to the Lead Convenor Victor Estrella and the Marketing and Operations Office of NPF for the great work that they have done in organizing this event.
The Plenary Speaker, John Paolo Rivera, PhD, the Associate Director of the Asian Institute of Management talked about the Culture, Tourism, and Sustainable Development in the Philippines.
While FEU faculties presented their research findings which included Implication of Changing Style and Environmental Degradation on the Aesthetics of a Philippine Ancestral House by Romeo B. Galang, Jr.; A Guide in the City Noir in Selected Cultural Texts by Cecilia Bethina Elmido; and Ang Toreng Goma sa Pasalitang Tunggalian: Pagsusuri sa Balagtasan at Bagsakan Gamit ang Rubber Tower ni Cirilo F. Bautista by Sara Mae San Juan.
The summit was attended by tourism students, faculty members, curators, museum professionals, cultural workers, researchers, as well as natural and cultural heritage advocates.
The second (November 23) and third day (November 24) of the summit streamed online via NPF social media platforms. Serving as Plenary Speakers were Jose Luiz Pederzoli, Jr., Head of the Strategic Planning Unit and Our Collections Matter Programme, International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, or ICCROM, Italy and Nestor Castro PhD, Cultural Anthropologist and Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, University of the Philippines Diliman.
The Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF), as a Government-Owned or Controlled Corporation (GOCC), spearheads and develops hubs, spaces, activities, green infrastructure projects, and research and knowledge production initiatives that utilize innovation and creative potential as catalysts for sustainable national development.