ANGARA URGES PRESERVATION OF RP's CULTURAL HERITAGE

In observance of the National Arts Month, Senator Edgardo J. Angara, a patron of culture and the arts, reiterated his call to safeguard the country's historical and cultural heritage and resources amidst globalization and modernization.

"Our heritage would serve as an anchor amidst the chaos that modernization brings. By preserving our heritage, we keep our integrity as a people; for our heritage is the foundation by which we can build our present," Angara said.

He added, "By developing our cultural heritage sites, we can tap new markets and create opportunities that would generate income and employment for our people."

Angara also encouraged Filipinos especially the younger generation to participate in cultural programs and multicultural festivals hosted by the country's cultural agencies.

"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," Angara said.

This year, the National Arts Month dubbed as Philippine International Arts Festival (PAIF) will have the theme "Ani ng Sining". It will feature the talents and performances of the many artists and arts groups in the seven arts on whose trainings, competitions, and creative expressions it has invested the past year or so.

The Festival will be a celebration of the fruits of the creative efforts for the past year and a looking forward to a richer, more fertile ground in the coming years for the evolution of artistic modes of expression available to the Filipino creative imagination.

Angara is the author of laws and bills in Congress that promote and protect the arts industry and the rights of the country's artists. Among them are the National Historical Commission Act and the recently-passed National Cultural Heritage Act which 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.

He is also the principal author of the law that created the National Museum and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA).