‘Mga Pinuno para sa Pamana’: National Heritage Month 2019

Regina G. Bermudo

The Department of Education is encouraging offices and schools to support and undertake activities in celebration of the 2019 National Heritage Month (NHM) with the theme “Mga Pinuno Para sa Pamana” (Leaders for Heritage) this coming May.

The theme serves as a challenge to each and every individual to take the lead in preserving and promoting their cultural heritage. It also emphasizes the need to harvest thriving leaders who will spearhead the upkeep of Philippine cultural heritage, and highlights the role of the nation in fostering the youth to become future frontrunners for heritage.

Activities include music/ dance/ theater performances, film and visual arts exhibits, visits to museums or cultural sites, or any other forms relevant to the theme.

The 2019 NHM official streamers and other related collaterals are requested to be displayed at their respective areas throughout the month of May.

Regional Offices (ROs) and Schools Division Offices (SDOs) are also encouraged to join the #TanglawNgPamana Audio-Visual Presentation Contest organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The said initiative aims to contribute to the awareness of the Filipinos on heritage and increase participation of various sectors in preserving the Filipino culture.

The celebration is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 439 dated August 11, 2003 entitled Declaring the Month of May of Every Year as National Heritage Month.

The celebration aims to create in the people a consciousness, respect, and love for the legacies of Filipino cultural history; raise material support for the protection of tangible and intangible things; strengthen awareness of cultural heritage sites, structures, and landscapes, and encourage participation in the preservation of these cultural legacies through various activities such as performing arts at these sites and/ or visual art and fashion exhibits, thematic culinary events, as well as popular folk food fairs, design retrospectives and competitions, media and literaiy events, and homage to living traditions and intangible heritage; and project, promote, and celebrate the Filipino multicultural traditions and indigenous peoples culture.

The participation of ROs, SDOs, and schools in the online campaign thread about the observance by uploading photos, news features and other information relative to NHM 2019 to their social media accounts and websites using the hashtags #NHM2019 and #TanglawNgPamana is highly encouraged as well. This includes the NHM 2019 collaterals made by NCCA such as NHM poster and infographics.

The author is Teacher II at Dau Elementary School