Heritage preservation and the Filipino rich

THE Philippines boasts a rich and complex history, owing to centuries of interaction and exchange among Malay settlers, Chinese and Middle Eastern traders, and several foreign conquerors. Such heritage still stands in pockets across Metro Manila. They are often hidden — or worse, neglected — having been overrun by skyscrapers, malls, and other vestiges of urban sprawl.

The country is also full of craftsmen and artists, like the Paete woodcarvers, the painters of Angono, the T’Nalak “dream weavers” from Lake Sebu, and the sabutan weavers of Baler. Their beautiful works showcase Filipino skill and creativity, yet receive marginal attention at best.

Heritage preservation provides the anchor for nationhood and concretizes our sense of identity through palpable things like buildings, sculptures, paintings, songs, or stories. That’s why as a nation we should do a better job of preserving our heritage, and supporting our artists and craftsmen. That should be the underlying message people should take away as the country rounds off its celebration of National Arts Month this February.

Several cultural agencies — including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the National Museum — are actively working to promote and preserve Philippine arts and culture. The private sector, but especially those with surplus money like the rich elite, should come in also and contribute to heritage preservation not simply as patrons but as genuine philanthropists looking to bring about social change.

Many of the rich Filipinos do charity like school building or medical missions or scholarships. These are pocketbook issues to ordinary people and important to them. However, true philanthropy means spending money, time and support on art and heritage preservation. That will put some rich Filipinos in a better light.

They could follow in the footsteps of people like prima ballerina Liza Macuja Elizalde who set up a scholarship foundation for gifted but underprivileged dancers, which sustains the country’s ballet corps. Or Joven Cuanang, a former hospital director, who built the Pinto Museum in Antipolo. Or the former residents and stallholders of Escolta who are spearheading the Escolta Redevelopment Project, the former city center of Manila.