NEDA-6 hosts Training of Trainers on Cultural Mapping

THE National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Region 6, in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), conducted the first Western Visayas Training of Trainers on Cultural Mapping for local development planners and implementers in the region on Sept 30 to Oct 4, 2019.

Aiming to create a core set of regional trainers on cultural mapping, 22 participants attended the training composed of provincial tourism and planning officers from the provinces of Antique, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo, the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.

The representatives from the Iloilo City Cultural and Heritage Council and the Conservation Council of the Municipality of Alimodian, and the planning officers of the Department of Tourism and Department of the Interior and Local Government were also present.

In her welcome message, NEDA-6 regional director Ro-Ann A. Bacal emphasized that the preservation and promotion of tangible and intangible cultural assets is now a development priority clearly expressed in the Philippine Development Plan and the Regional Development Plan.

She also underscored the importance of the training in providing the basic knowledge and skills of making cultural maps as a prerequisite for local planning and investment programming.

Vice Commissioner John Delan Robillos of NCCA National Committee on Museums delivered the opening remarks highlighting the efforts of NCCA in conducting trainings on cultural mapping in the regions.

He particularly invited interested participants to the launching and kick-off program for the month-long National Museums and Galleries celebration on October 1 at the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art in Megaworld Festive Walk, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

The main resource persons and trainers on cultural mapping were Mr. Arvin Manuel Villalon, Cultural Development Consultant and Station Manager of Radio Maria Philippines; Professor Dennis Coronel of Ateneo de Davao University and Assistant Secretary Liana Dela Rosa of NCCA National Committee on Museums.

The training covered the following topics: Overview of Cultural Mapping; Philippine and international legal instruments on cultural heritage; Frameworks on Conservation (theories, domains, significance) and Context of Mapping Process; Cultural Mapping Methodologies, Cultural Statistics and Mapping Ethics; Mapping of Movable and Immovable Tangible Heritage, Natural Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Significant Personalities, Cultural Institutions, and LGU programs and projects for culture.

The essential part of the training was the actual fieldwork for the conduct of cultural mapping exercises in the following areas: districts of Arevalo, Lapaz and Jaro in Iloilo City and the municipalities of Leganes, Oton, Sta, Barbara and Cabatuan.  After each fieldwork, the participants encoded the gathered data and presented their mapping outputs for critiquing by the resource persons.

At the end of the training, 30 maps were produced composed of 8 immovable tangible heritage, 12 natural heritage (which include land formation, body of water, flora and fauna), 5 intangible heritage, and 5 movable tangible heritage.

In her synthesis, Ms. August Melody Andong, EDS II of the Policy Formulation and Planning Division (PFPD) reiterated the importance of timely submission of cultural data to assess the regional performance in accomplishing the set targets of the PDP and RDP, particularly on Chapter 7 – Preserving Filipino traditional values, culture and heritage.

The training culminated with the awarding of certificates to the resource persons by NEDA-VI Assistant Regional Director Arecio A. Casing, Jr. and Chief Economic Development Specialist Maria Lourdes B. Miado of PFPD.  The activity concluded with the closing message of ARD Casing who emphasized that visiting the museums is one way of knowing the region’s culture and its people. He also congratulated the participants for actively accomplishing the required outputs of the training. (/PFPD/NEDA-6)