DENR 6 supports cultural mapping of Panay, Guimaras

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6, as the lead agency in the protection, conservation, and management of the region’s environment and natural resources, has created a Department’s Working Committee to assist and provide information to cultural mappers.

The committee, which is in line with the recent signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras (CMPG), includes technical and documentation personnel, particularly in the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP).

Based on Regional Special Order No. 2024-445, the DENR Working Committee will:

(a) Assist the UPV research team in accessing DENR documents concerning natural resources in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental;

(b) Aid the UPV research team in using and interpreting data from DENR resources for cultural mapping forms produced for the project;

(c) Provide the UPV team with soft copies of the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) with thematic maps for each municipality in Panay, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental;

(d) Offer technical assistance and supervision to UPV in mapping the natural resources of the communities;

(e) Fully cooperate in other areas consistent with the project’s objectives and in line with the MOA stipulations.

“We assure the cultural mappers of our full support in this endeavor. We also want to uncover the hidden diverse cultures in our provinces and identify the natural landmarks to map them out,” said DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

The CMPG project aims to produce an inventory of the cultural assets of the provinces and will serve as a tool for creating knowledge-based platforms equipped with the traditional and cultural patterns of local communities.

The initiative aligns with Republic Act No. 11961, also known as the “Cultural Mapping and Enhanced Cultural Heritage Education Program,” authorized by Sen. Loren Legarda, which mandates LGUs to conduct comprehensive cultural mapping of their areas of jurisdiction.