A future built on heritage?

Beloved Statue The famous statue of infant Jesus located in the Church of Our Lady Victorious in Malá Strana, Prague. Its history started in the beginning of the 17th century when a statue of the Infant Jesus was brought into Bohemia by a Spanish Princess. This princess had been given the statue as a wedding gift by her mother, Maria Manriquez de Lara of Spain, and the statue eventually was given to the Discalced Carmelites in Prague. The statue was set up in the oratory of the monastery, and twice a day, special devotions to Jesus were performed before it.

The Carmelite friary was plundered and the image of the Infant of Prague was thrown into a pile of rubbish behind the altar. Here it lay forgotten for seven years until it was found again in 1637. Since then, the statue has remained in Prague and has drawn many devotees worldwide to go and honor the Holy Child. Claims of blessings, favors and miraculous healings have been made by many who petitioned before the Infant Jesus.

Today, thousands of pilgrims pay homage to the Infant of Prague each year. The tradition of the Infant Jesus procession and the coronation continues to this day. On May 27, 1995, a solemn procession of the Infant Jesus took place in the streets of Prague with Cardinal Sin of Manila (Philippines) and Cardinal Vlk of Prague leading the procession. This ceremony was the closing highlight of the annual Feast of the Infant Jesus in Prague.

As the devotion to the Infant Jesus spreads throughout the world, many parishes now offer Holy Mass and novenas to honor the Holy Child Jesus, Son of God, and many prayer groups have been formed.

ARE you currently facing adver si t y?

If not, have you ever faced adver si t y?

No one is exempt from it. Who do you turn to in the face of challenges, trials, persecutions, misfortune, hardship, distress, disaster, suffering, sorrow, misery, pain, etc.?

Some would say, they would first turn to themselves, their inner strength, their experience and their ingenuity. Then, to their loved ones, followed by their friends; and when all fails, as a last resort, they turn to God.

I often do that, too. However, when I am thinking right, when my relationship with God is in order, and when He is top of my mind, I know I should turn to HIM First, not last. He will give me strength, guidance and wisdom, to know what to do. He may not resolve the issue immediately,

What does it really take to build a future built on heritage? Is this a mere marketing tool or a strong commitment to recognize, uphold, and develop a community, anchored on h er i t age?

Recently, the Department of Interior and Local Government started including cultural indicators in its Seal of Good Local Governance search for local government units, cities and municipalities included, which required the presence of local inventories of cultural properties within their jurisdiction. Not many LGUs were prepared for this, but it is a step in the right direction for the DILG to mainstream heritage and culture as part of a community’s development agenda, recognizing its equal importance when compared to environmental and economic indicat or s.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts is also bullish in reaching out to LGUs, among others, to avail of its grants program, a lot of which are design to create and establish awareness and appreciation of arts, culture, and heritage at the grassroots level. NCCA also exemplifies the ideals it stands for, with its landmark restoration project for the Metropolitan Theater. I do hope that this example will be followed, not just by cultural agencies, but be the standard for all government agencies at that.

Among LGUs, more and more cities and municipalities are joining the heritage bandwagon. 10 years ago, only a few in Pampanga had notable heritage programs, the number has doubled by now. We have seen a surge in declarations from the National Museum, of important cultural properties, all over our province, with still a significant number on the waiting list.

But beyond the declarations of any national agency, the way the locals and the community view and treat heritage matters. I am reminded of the example set by the residents of Barangay Telabastagan who declared at the level of their barangay, the significance of their chapel, a mere visita, as a treasured heritage structure.

For the private sector, building a future anchored on heritage does not always entail massive developments and monumental restoration works. Heritage is not always a marketing tool to be used when one wishes to romanticize notions and nuances of “heritage.”

I realized this as new developments are on the rise, which will in fifty years or so will be defining what our city’s heritage will be like, in the same way that our early settlers have passed on to us what we recognize today as our heritage.

Further, beyond the physical structures, there is that equally integral, although intangible cultural heritage which we must commit to preserve, protect, and pass on to the next generations.