The National Commission for Cultural and the Arts (NCCA) recently conducted a planning workshop in Palawan to support local government units (LGUs) in addressing challenges in cultural preservation which is important in maintaining the “legacies of physical artifacts and intangible attributes inherited from past generations”.
The two-day Cultural Development Planning Workshop held on August 27-28 was done for culture and arts coordinators, municipal tourism officers, planning and development coordinators, and other key personnel of the provincial government, a press statement sent Monday by the Provincial Information Office (PIO) said.
Urbana Cadiz, planning officer III of the NCCA and the cultural development workshop’s main trainer, said there is a need for LGU focal persons to learn how to craft a funded plan that would enable them to be effective in preserving the vibrant cultures of their communities.
She said the plans are also needed for inclusion in the Philippine Development Plan.
“Kinakailangan natin ma-guide ang mga LGUs on how to prepare their cultural development plans, and, of course, kailangan din natin ito four our Philippine Development Plan,” the statement quoted Cadiz in saying.
Cadiz said the cultural development plans will serve as the LGUs’ guide to achieve their goals in maintaining and sustaining their municipalities’ traditional ideas, customs, and social behavior.
She said the LGUs should also have a Culture and Arts Council (CAC) that will lead cultural preservation activities and initiatives.
“Kailangan din kasi na functional ang kanilang culture and arts council para sila ang mangunguna sa implementation ng nga plans na kanilang ginawa for the enrichment of our culture and arts programs,” Cadiz said.
Initiated by the NCCA and the Provincial Culture and Arts Council (PCAC) headed by vice chairman Ceasar Sammy Magbanua, the cultural and arts programs initiatives is based on Memorandum Circular No. 78 issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in May.
It orders all LGUs to provide funds for programs that will promote culture and arts and the creation of a development plan for preservation.
The PIO statement said Cadiz also informed that participants that they “should identify their cultural properties and plan on how to preserve them”.
This should include “tangible cultural heritage” that can be seen and touched such as buildings, monuments, paintings, sculptures, and others, and “intangible cultural heritage” such as oral traditions, songs, dances, and rituals.
