Lucena, Quezon – The Tourism Office of Quezon Province gathered tourism officers, representatives and advocates in celebration of National Heritage Month through May 22 and 23 at the Quezon Convention Center. At least 40 participants actively participated with the Orientation on Cultural Mapping with a representative from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
The Quezon Provincial Tourism Office head NEsler Louies Almagro provided context and gave the welcome remarks. They also acknowledged participants from Infanta, Mauban, Gumaca, Sariaya, Lucena and the rest of the province. While the Tourism Operations Assistant Redentor Saliendra Jr. introduced the resource speaker from NCCA for the orientation on cultural mapping.
Dr. Randy Nobleza was involved with Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro; Santa Cruz and Gasan, Marinduque cultural mapping projects. Likewise, he is engaged with Calauag, Quezon and Torrijos, Marinduque cultural mapping. Dr. Nobleza is a board member of the Ugnayang Pang-aghamTao (Anthropological Association of the Philippines) and newly-elected secretary general of the Philippine Association for the Study of Culture, History and Religion (PASCHR).
The NCCA cultural mapping facilitator then discussed what culture is, what heritage is and ultimately what cultural mapping is. Dr. Nobleza also encouraged the Quezonian participants to become cultural heritage bearers, advocates and hero. For the next half of the program, an overview of the Philippine Registry on Cultural Property would be elaborated and wrap up with a walking tour of built heritage in the Quezon Provincial Capitol complex.
The expected outcomes of the Cultural Mapping orientation and PRECUP overview is to maximize the local culture profiles and local heritage inventories for creative industries and tourism development. It was hoped to put up a repository to bolster the existing museums of Lucena City and Gumaca districts, in addition the Department of Education supervisors for Social Studies Alternative Learning Systems with a couple of principals with educators of private institutions committed to help out for the endeavor.
