Book one of city’s cultural mapping project ready for publication

Arch. Donna Tabangin, City Planning and Development Coordinator, informed the Baguio City Council last Monday that Book 1 of the city government’s cultural mapping project is ready for publication and will be launched on September 1 of this year as one of the activities during the celebration of the 113th charter anniversary of Baguio City. 

    Tabangin said, during the first phase of the project, they were able to initially identify more or less 600 artifacts and heritage sites in the city. Of the number, 235 were already mapped and were now archived in the first book. 

    An amount of 5.7 million has been earmarked for the first phase of the project. The same amount has been proposed for appropriation in order to complete the second book which will archive another 235 artifacts and heritage sites.  

    Tabangin said more artifacts and sites with historical value are expected to be identified as they work on the second book.        

    “It would be best if we could map them at the soonest possible time because they are getting lost already. Some owners of these objects or places do not put value to them anymore, but it is through this cultural mapping project that we get to rediscover them,” Tabangin explained.

    The cultural mapping project aims to raise awareness among the local government units, community stakeholders, advocates, educators, and youths about the importance of safeguarding living heritage, both tangible and intangible. 

    According to Jaime Antonio, culture and sustainable development specialist, cultural mapping is a systematic approach in identifying, recording, and classifying all existing cultural properties or resources of a particular community in order to record, describe, visualize and understand them.

    It is an ongoing process that can be achieved through the sustained efforts in generating and updating a cultural database over time, he said. 

    The City Government of Baguio has partnered with the NCCA for the said project. Tabangin said the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) had sent cultural mapping experts to work with the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) for this undertaking. 

    According to the cultural mapping toolkit designed by the NCCA, cultural mapping is important to local government units (LGUs) in their pursuit to safeguard and promote the cultural heritage of the local communities. The toolkit serves as a roadmap for LGUs in enriching their resources for cultural, social, economic, and political development.  

    Pursuant to R.A. No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, the LGU shall “maintain an inventory of cultural property under its jurisdiction and shall furnish the NCCA a copy of the same.” -Jordan G. Habbiling