Celebrate Heritage Month, public urged

MANILA, Philippines — The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) called on the public to celebrate National Heritage Month in May to enhance appreciation of Filipino heritage anchored on the theme “Leaders for Heritage.”

Fr. Harold Rentoria, NCCA’s commissioner on cultural heritage, said the 2019 celebration of National Heritage Month aims to educate the people, particularly the youth, and foster their awareness of both tangible and intangible heritage through different trainings, forums, immersions and other related events.

It also aims to recognize and support the role of local artists and cultural workers in preserving local tradition and initiate ways to promote preservation and care for our cultural heritage.

“As we all know, May is the month when most fiestas and festivals and the indigenous activities are celebrated throughout the Philippines,” Rentoria said at a press briefing in Malacañang.

The celebration of National Heritage Month started in 2003 with Proclamation No. 439 declaring May of every year as National Heritage Month.

The NCCA has been designated as the lead agency to undertake the activities for its celebration.

In 2017, Rentoria said the NCCA heeded the President’s call for concern among citizens as a prerequisite for building a trustworthy society. 

Last year, the NCCA enjoined the public to unite for heritage that is important to unite the nation. 

“This year, we are calling the public especially the youth to accept the challenge of becoming leaders for heritage by spearheading the upkeep of Philippine cultural heritage,” Rentoria said.

The NCCA said the kick off ceremony would be held on May 2 at the St. Matthias Church in Tumauini, Isabela.

Isabela Governor Faustino Dy, Tumauini Mayor Arnold Bautista and NCCA chairman and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario will lead the event.

The St. Matthias Parish Church was declared a national historical landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines and as a national cultural treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is one of the baroque churches in the tentative list of the Philippines for inscription to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

During the kick off ceremony, the Philippine Postal Corporation shall launch the stamps, souvenir sheet and first day covers featuring women as keepers of heritage. It shall be presented by PhilPost Postmaster General Joel Otarra. 

According to Rentoria, the works of National Artists are considered important cultural properties as they bear exceptional artistic and cultural significance to the nation. 

The Filipino Heritage Festival Inc. will be holding a tribute to the National Artists for music in a production entitled Himig Ng Bayan led by Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra associate conductor Herminigildo Ranera and under the direction of Carlos Palanca awardee Dennis Marasigan on May 9 at 8 p.m. at the main theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Films by National Artists for film and broadcast arts will be shown at the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde every 2 p.m. on May 4, 18 and 25.

On May 23, an exhibit on the collaborative works of National Artists for architecture Leandro Locsin and Ildefonso Santos will be launched at the Metropolitan Museum. Finally on May 16, a Gabi sa Parangal for the National Artists proclaimed by President Duterte in 2018 will be held at the CCP main theater.

“The best way to appreciate heritage is by visiting heritage sites. Many of our partner-organizations have arranged heritage tours to provide the public with firsthand information of these sites,” the NCCA official said.

On May 18 as part of the 82nd anniversary celebration, the NCCA said the Government Service Insurance System will hold a heritage walk of sites associated to its history, some of which are well-known heritage sites such as the Coconut Palace and the GSIS Arroceros Building.

On the same day, the City of San Fernando, Pampanga will hold an open house of its heritage house and train stations. 

The Philippine Postal Corp. will have a tour of the Manila Central Post Office building, which was declared an important cultural property by the National Museum in 2018.

In Cebu, every Saturday afternoon for the whole month of May, the Cebu Association of Tour Guides will have a three-hour walking tour of the Cebu City historical district.

Many local government units have taken the initiative to promote heritage protection through the conduct of cleanup drives in heritage sites and monuments.

The Manila city government will conduct cleanup drives of the Bonifacio Shrine on Padre Burgos Street on May 3, the Bahay Nakpil-Bautista in Quiapo on May 9, the ancestral house of Gen. Antonio Luna in Binondo on May 23 and the Macario Sakay monument in Tondo on May 30.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Camalig, Albay will clean up and plant trees in the vicinity of their heritage bridges.

On May 18, the Worldwide Community of Museums shall celebrate International Museum Day with the theme, “Museums as Cultural Hubs, The Future of Tradition” to give focus on the new roles of museums as active actors in their communities.

The Intramuros Administration is set to inaugurate the Museo de Intramuros on May 2 showcasing its large collection of ecclesiastical objects. Located on the corner of Anda and Arsobispo Streets, the museum sits on the site of the San Ignacio Church ruins.

“We are inviting the public to visit the museum for this month of May. To increase museum visitorship, 18 museums and other institutions in Cebu through the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. have organized the ‘Gabi sa Kabilin’ where museums will remain open late into the night,” Rentoria said.