BILL PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE PASSED

Senator Edgardo J. Angara led the passage of the National Cultural Heritage Act in the bicameral conference held today at the Senate. The bill provides a comprehensive framework for the preservation of Philippine cultural heritage including cultural sites, old buildings, monuments, shrines, and landmarks that have cultural significance and historical value.

"The enactment of our National Cultural Heritage bill constitutes a serious action in preserving our cultural treasures. In a deeper sense, the bill affirms our identity as a people," he said.

The measure ensures effective coordination among concerned agencies in order to avert the diminution, depletion and destruction of the country's cultural heritage. It aims to do this by instituting mechanisms for better management of cultural properties such as creation of categories and privileges for cultural properties, institutionalization of Heritage Zones, and documentation of traditional and contemporary arts.

Angara stressed the importance of preserving the country's irreplaceable cultural and historical possessions, as well as inculcating among Filipinos the importance of protecting our heritage.

"Culture reflects and shapes values, beliefs, and aspirations, thereby defining a people's national identity. There is a serious need for us to know deeply and celebrate our national heritage - it must become a mandate for every Filipino. By preserving our national heritage, we keep our integrity as a people," said Angara who is the principal author of laws which established the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

He added, "Culture is a manifestation of the freedom of belief and of expression. It is a human right and must be accorded due respect and allowed to flourish. We must protect our cultural heritage strongly, effectively, and unambiguously."

He noted that while the campaign for eco-tourism has focused on the country's beautiful beaches and resorts, the Philippine cultural and historical heritage are virtually ignored. "Much of these important and irreplaceable structures have given way to modernization and commercialization, and its rich repository of our culture is literally becoming a thing of the past," he lamented

Angara noted that there has been observations of "cultural neglect", as some cultural heritages were not protected, preserved, conserved and promoted adequately and effectively. He then illustrated this through a number of examples where we repeatedly saw cultural neglect.

He said that the country has painfully witnessed the defacement, if not complete destruction of buildings and other historically or artistically significant structures, bridges, parks and other public spaces or landscapes. Catholic churches have been unsystematically renovated, and relieved of precious and significant materials such as beautifully wrought religious images of ivory, and wood, relives, even the silver frontals of altars.

"Investing in the preservation of our heritage would prevent cultural bankruptcy in the future," Angara stressed. The National Cultural Heritage bill is a consolidation of measures filed by Senators Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Loren Legarda, Manuel Villar, Miriam Defensor Santiago, Antonio Trillanes 4th, Mar Roxas and Angara.

The Bicameral conference was attended by Congressmen Angara, Chong, Escudero and Senators Angara and Zubiri.