VALUES IN PRESERVING CULTURAL HERITAGE
Villalon then discussed about the ways of preserving our tangible heritage, such as artifacts, monuments and old houses
How do we value cultural heritage during the coronavirus pandemic when the top priority is our health? That is one of the questions addressed in the webinar titled “Filipino Values Systems in Heritage Conservation and Preservation,” organized by the Capiz Tourism and Cultural Affairs and streamed on the Facebook page of the agency on 29 May as part of the province of Capiz’s celebration of the National Heritage Month.
“Minsan sa kultura ka humuhugot ng lakas (Sometimes you draw strength from culture),” said guest speaker Arvin Manuel Villalon, a psychologist who serves as a consultant and researcher for the cultural mapping project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). He is also a lead researcher for the NCCA study on Filipino values.
Villalon noted that resilience, as one of the defining values of Filipinos, is key in conserving cultural heritage.
“You have to survive for heritage to survive,” he added.
He noted that education, along with culture, arts and heritage, can give Filipinos a boost in becoming resilient during this crisis.
Cultural heritage, as defined by Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, is the “totality of cultural property preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity.”
“Ang isang (A) heritage (element), ‘pag ito’y mahalaga sa ‘yo (if it is important to you), you will preserve it or conserve it… the challenge is gusto niyo bang ipagpatuloy (will you it to continue)?” he said.
Villalon then discussed about the ways of preserving our tangible heritage, such as artifacts, monuments and old houses. He said that introducing non-invasive interventions to prevent damage is a good way to preserve the structure so that it is as close to the original state as possible.
The problem, he noted, lies in the preservation of practices, including oral traditions, performing arts, traditional crafts and socio-political and spiritual aspects of culture.
“The challenge is (coming up with) a holistic approach to conservation,” Villalon explained. He added that while the government is the top authority tasked to conserve culture, the community should also try to help out and become “cultural frontliners.” This is where Villalon stressed that the importance of the Filipino values, especially in cultural heritage protection, manifests.
A NCCA study on the current values of the Filipino reveals 19 shared values, which can be categorized into two main categories: Culture, arts and sciences and creative excellence.
Villalon noted that heritage forms as the basis of one’sidentity and makes one more sensitive and accepting to the differences among members in their community. On the other hand, creative excellence or “pagkamalikhain” helps in sharing that identity and practices to the world.
“If you have creativity, you constantly do something about your practices so that it becomes interesting, mas nagiging kaayaaya (becomes more enticing),” Villalon said. Some of the values mentioned are family, education, faith, self, honesty and integrity, environment, happiness, love for country and resilience. Villalon also underscored the importance of self or “pagkatao” in cultural preservation.
“Minsan sa kultura ka humuhugot ng lakas (Sometimes you draw strength from culture),” said guest speaker Arvin Manuel Villalon.
“When you protect your heritage, you have to be strong on your sense of self,” he added.
As the country grapples with the new realities of the pandemic and lockdowns, Villalon highlighted the challenges that affect these values. The immediate value affected being health and wellness, which likewise affect happiness, livelihood, the family and oneself. But Villalon is optimistic that resilience will be key in overcoming the pandemic. He noted that education, along with culture, arts and heritage, can give Filipinos a boost in becoming resilient during this crisis.
Urbanization and technology of modern development can have adverse effects on historical sites, heritage structures, cultural practices and value-based models which are very susceptible to vanishing.
However, Villalon said that several simple ways can be adopted to preserve the relics and practices of the past. These include strengthening Filipino family education on culture, promoting good governance, collaboration with different sectors to promote cultural awareness and continuing research on heritage.
“Our values are lodged or are in the heritage that we have… these structures give us a sense of who we are as a person,” Villalon concluded.