Cultural Mapping PDF

## What is Cultural Heritage? Enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution is the commitment of the State to promote, enrich, and conserve the country’s artistic and historic wealth that constitute the cultural treasure of the nation. These properties shall be under the protection of the State which may regulate its disposition (1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines). Thus, in the year 2009, the Philippine Congress passed into a law Republic Act No. 10066, also known as the “National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009," which underscores a Vision for Cultural Heritage aptly stated as: - A balanced atmosphere where the historic past coexists in harmony with modern society; - The use of an integrated and holistic approach to the problem of conservation, cutting across all relevant disciplines and technologies; and, - Administration of heritage resources in a spirit of stewardship for the inspiration and benefit of the present and future generations. The objectives of the National Cultural Heritage Act are to: - Protect, preserve, conserve and promote the nation's cultural heritage, its property and histories, and the ethnicity of local communities; - Establish and strengthen cultural institutions; - Protect cultural workers and ensure their professional development and well-being. Furthermore, R.A No. 10066 stipulates the principles, policies and guidelines for cultural agencies, government institutions and the citizens of the country in raising the levels of people's appreciation of our shared heritage as well as to strengthen and advance the various interventions in safeguarding the nation's cultural wealth. The 1987 Philippine Constitution, under Article XIV on "Arts and Culture," declared that: "Section 14. The State shall foster the preservation, enrichment, and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the principle of unity in diversity in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression. "Section 15. Arts and letters shall enjoy the patronage of the State. The State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the nation's historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations. "Section 16. All the country's artistic and historic wealth constitutes the cultural treasure of the nations and shall be under the protection of the State which may regulate its disposition.” ## The Concept of Cultural Heritage and its Categories R.A. No. 10066 provides the working definition of the key concepts related to national cultural heritage (Article II, Section 3 - Definition of Terms), as follows: - **Cultural heritage** refers to the totality of cultural property preserved and developed through time and passed on to posterity. - **Cultural property** refers to all products of human creativity by which a people and a nation reveal their identity, including churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, school and natural history specimens and sites, whether public or privately-owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible. - **Tangible cultural property** refers to cultural property with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological, artistic and architectural value, and with exceptional or traditional production whether of Philippine origin or not, including antiques and natural history specimens with significant value. - **Intangible cultural property** refer to the peoples' learned processes along with the knowledge, skills and creativity that inform and are developed by them, the products they create and the resources, spaces and other aspects of social and natural context necessary for their sustainability. - **Intangible cultural heritage** refers to the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills, as well as the instruments, objects and artifacts associated therewith, that communities, groups and individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage. These include: (1) oral traditions, languages and expressions; (2) performing arts; (3) social practices, rituals and festive events; (4) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; and (5) traditional craftsmanship. Moreover, R.A. No. 10066 (in Sec. 3 (i)) describes the various categories of significant cultural properties of the country as explained in the following definition of terms: - **Nationally significant** refers to historical, aesthetic, scientific, technical, social and/or spiritual values that unify the nation by a deep sense of pride in their various yet common identities, cultural heritage and national patrimony. - **Important cultural property** refers to a cultural property having exceptional cultural, artistic and historical significance to the Philippines, as may be determined by the National Museum and/or the National Historical Institute (now the National Historical Commission of the Philippines). - **National cultural treasure** refers to a unique cultural property found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scientific value which is highly significant and important to the country and nation, and officially declared as such by pertinent cultural agency. - **Historical shrines** refer to historical sites or structures hallowed and revered for their history or association as declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. - **Historical monuments** refer to structures that honor illustrious persons or commemorate events of historical value as declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. - **Historical landmarks** refer to the sites or structures that are associated with events or achievements significant to Philippine History as declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. - **Natural property of cultural significance** refer to areas possessing outstanding ecosystem with flora and fauna of national scientific importance under the National Integrated Area Protected System (NIPAS). - **Presumed Important Cultural Property.** For purposes of protecting a cultural property against exportation, modification or demolition, the following works are considered important cultural property, unless declared otherwise by the pertinent cultural agency: - Unless declared by the NCCA, - a) Works by a Manlilikha ng Bayan; - b) Works by a National Artist; - Unless declared by the National Museum, - c) Archaeological and traditional ethnographic materials (unless declared by the National Museum); - Unless declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, - d) Works of national heroes; - e) Marked structure; - f) Structures dating at least fifty (50) years old; and - Unless declared by the National Archives, - g) Archival material/document dating at least fifty (50) years old. The property owner may petition the appropriate cultural agency to remove the presumption of important cultural property, which shall not be unreasonably withheld. - **Heritage zone** refers to historical, anthropological, archaeological, artistic geographical areas and settings that are culturally significant to the country, as declared by the National Museum and/or the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. - **World Heritage Site.** A place listed by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) as having outstanding universal value. In the Philippines these include: - Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park; - Tubbataha Reefs National Park; - Mt. Hamiguitan (protected); - Rice Terraces of the Cordillera (a living cultural landscape); - Historic Town of Vigan (cultural site); - Four (4) Baroque Churches in the Philippines: Paoay in Ilocos Norte, Santa Maria in Ilocos Sur, Miag-ao in Iloilo, San Agustin in Manila. - **Built heritage** refers to architecture and engineering structures such as, but not limited to, bridges, government buildings, houses of ancestry, traditional dwellings, quartels, train stations, lighthouses, small ports, educational, technological and industrial complexes, and their settings, and landscapes with notable historical and cultural significance. - **Conservation of cultural property** refers to all the processes and measures of maintaining the cultural significance of a cultural property including, but not limited to, preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, adaptation or any combination thereof. ## Manila Hotel: A National Cultural Treasure of the Philippines The Manila Hotel or, for that matter, 51% of the Manila Hotel Corporation (MHC), is not just any commodity to be sold to the highest bidder solely for the sake of privatization. This is not an ordinary piece of property in a commercial district located in Manila, Philippines. We are talking about a historic relic that has hosted many of the most important events in the short history of the Philippines as a nation. We are talking about a hotel where heads of states would prefer to be housed as a strong manifestation of their desire to cloak the dignity of the highest state function to their official visits to the Philippines. Thus, the Manila Hotel has played and continues to play a significant role as an authentic repository of 20th-century Philippine history and culture. In this sense, it has become truly a reflection of the Filipino soul - a place with a history of grandeur; a most historical setting that has played a part in the shaping of a country. How much of national pride will vanish if the nation's cultural heritage is entrusted to a foreign entity? On the other hand, how much dignity will be preserved and realized if the national patrimony is safe-kept in the hands of a qualified, zealous and well-meaning Filipino? This is the plain and simple meaning of the Filipino First Policy provision of the Philippine Constitution. ## The Cultural Agencies and their Functions related to Heritage Conservation Pertinent to the intent of the provisions of R.A. No. 10066, the cultural agencies and other national line agencies are mandated to assume specific responsibilities (Article VIII) in the categorization and conservation of the various significant cultural properties of the nation. - **The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)** has the power to “regulate activities inimical to preservation/conservation of national cultural heritage/properties." - **The National Museum (NM)** shall take the lead in the study and preservation of the nation's rich artistic and cultural heritage, in the reconstruction and rebuilding of our past, and the development of the national cultural wealth. At the same time, it shall implement and enforce Presidential Decree Nos. 260, 374, 756, 1109, 1492, 996, 1683 and 1726-A and supervise restoration, preservation, reconstruction, demolition, alteration, relocation and remodeling of immovable properties and archaeological landmarks and sites. - **The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)** shall approve the declaration of historic structures and edifices such as national shrines, monuments and landmarks or heritage houses and shall regulate activities pertaining to the preservation, restoration and conservation of historical property or resources. ## Cultural Agencies and their functions - **National Historical Commission of the Philippines** T.M. Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila http://nhcp.gov.ph Responsible for the conservation and preservation of the country's historical legacies. Its major thrusts encompass an ambitious cultural program on historical studies, curatorial conservation, Philippine heraldry, historical information dissemination activities, restoration and preservation of relics and memorabilia of heroes and other renowned Filipinos - **Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino** Gusaling Watson, 1610 Kalye J.P. Laurel, San Miguel, 1005 Maynila http://kwf.gov.ph Upang magsagawa, mag-ugnay, at magtaguyod ng mga pananaliksik para sa pagpapaunlad, pagpapalaganap, at preserbasyon ng Filipino at ng iba pang mga wika sa Filipinas - **National Museum of the Philippines** Padre Burgos Drive, City of Manila, Philippines http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph The National Museum (NM) is tasked with the preservation, conservation and protection of movable and immovable cultural properties and for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The National Museum has three major goals: To disseminate scientific and technical knowledge in more understandable and practical forms; To conduct basic research programs combining integrated laboratory and field work in anthropology and archaeology, botany, geology, and zoology; and To guide in the study and preservation of the nation's rich artistic, historical and cultural heritage - **National Library of the Philippines** T.M. Kalaw St., Ermita, Manila, Philippines, 1000 http://web.nlp.gov.ph/nlp/ The National Library of the Philippines (NLP) serves as the country's premier repository of printed and recorded materials which reflect the intellectual, literary and cultural heritage of the Philippines as well as the knowledge and wisdom of peoples elsewhere in the world. The NLP aims to acquire and preserve all Filipiniana materials; provide national and international bibliographic services; organize, supervise and develop the public libraries and information centers throughout the country; and provide information, reference, and research resources to the public. - **Cultural Center of the Philippines** CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, Manila https://culturalcenter.gov.ph The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) is the national center for the performing arts. It is mandated to promote excellence in the arts through the initiation and implementation of activities that aim to improve and elevate standards among cultural workers, artists, and audiences and to recognize the multiplicity and differences of aesthetic experiences and standards encompassing the arts from grassroots to those formulated by academy-trained artists. - **National Archives of the Philippines** 1st & 6th Floor, PPL Building, 1000, United Nations Avenue cor. San Marcelino Street, Manila http://nationalarchives.gov.ph The National Archives of the Philippines (Pambansang Sinupan ng Pilipinas) is the official repository of the nation's permanent records and records of archival and historical value. It is mandated to plan, develop and coordinate government-wide programs, policies, rules, and regulations governing the use, storage and disposition of current and non-current records as well as to render assistance to government agencies for the retrieval of vital documents. ## Shared Responsibilities in Governance and Heritage Management In the areas of responsive governance of the cultural resources of the community, R.A. No. 10066 has likewise recognized the roles and functions of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Local Government Units (LGUs) in the conservation and safeguarding of the nation's cultural heritage. The **DILG** shall coordinate with the national cultural agencies on matters pertaining to cultural properties within their jurisdiction, and ensure that the provisions of R.A. No. 10066 (in Articles IV, V and VIII) are properly executed by Local Government Units. The **Local Government Units**: - Within their respective territorial jurisdictions, shall ensure and support, among other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture; - Shall likewise maintain an inventory of cultural property under its jurisdiction and shall furnish the National Commission for Culture and the Arts a copy of the same; - Shall document and sustain all socio-cultural practices such as, but not limited to, traditional celebrations, historical battles, recreation of customs, and the reenactment of battles and other local customs that are unique to a locality; and, - Shall maintain the declared or delineated Heritage Zones and shall ensure the implementation of adaptive reuse of cultural property; and appearance of streets, parks, monuments, buildings, and natural bodies of water, canals, paths and barangays within a locality shall be maintained as close to their appearance at the time the area was of most importance to Philippine history as determined by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. ## The Domains of Cultural Heritage As signified, all cultural properties and other sets of cultural assets that are understood as products of human creativity by which people and a nation reveal their identity constitute the cultural heritage of the community. These properties include churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites, whether movable or immovable and tangible or intangible. And, as highlighted, R.A. No. 10066 (Article VII) requires that all cultural properties of the country deemed important to cultural heritage shall be registered in the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP). The NCCA, through the appropriate cultural agencies and local government units, shall establish and maintain this Registry. And the LGUs are obliged to identity, document, protect and conserve the shared cultural heritage of the community. The schematic diagram illustrates a framework for classifying the significant cultural properties found in the community that shall be included in the inventory and documentation process. It is emphasized that the cultural significance of a cultural property is centrally positioned because this is what makes a heritage item profoundly valuable. This toolkit classifies the cultural properties or heritage resources according to their inherent nature and functions: - **Natural property of cultural significance** comprise the unique land formations and water bodies situated in an outstanding ecosystem of the locality that includes the iconic flora and fauna which are considered as having scientific and aesthetic importance; - **Tangible cultural property**, both movable and immovable, with historical, archival, anthropological, archaeological and artistic or architectural value; and, - **Intangible cultural property** such as oral traditions and expressions, performing arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe and traditional craftsmanship that are found in the locality. In addition, and for the purpose of expounding the shared and valued cultural resources of the community, the toolkit incorporates other categories and other sets of community cultural assets which may be controlled or held by public or private sectors, or by civil society organizations: - **Prominent personalities**, to include outstanding men and women who are known for their significant contribution in the history and development of the community; - **Cultural Institutions** refer to public or private organizations or institutions that work for the preservation or promotion of culture, including, but not limited to schools, museums, libraries and archives, churches, art galleries, among others. - **Civic heritage** encompasses the history and development of the LGU, including its historical landmarks and archives, inventory of prominent government officials as well as the significant programs and projects that enhance the cultural life of the community toward the enrichment of their local heritage. As emphasized, the fundamental concern for the inventory of cultural properties is the statement of cultural significance. This is judged in four (4) fields or criteria that are valuable for the past, present and future generations. Likewise, it is implied that significance shall incorporate the content of a heritage item: context, history, uses and its social and spiritual prominence. As illustrated in the figure below, these values are articulated as the primary criteria in determining the significance of a cultural property in order to: - Maintain consistency with the criteria of the UNESCO and other heritage agencies; - Minimize ambiguity during the assessment process; and, - Avoid the legal misinterpretation of the completed assessments of the listed items (UNESCO Memory of the World). All heritage items therefore, whether tangible or intangible, movable or immovable, shall be documented and their inherent cultural significance -- historical, aesthetic, scientific, technical, social and/or spiritual values -- shall be highlighted. Moreover, it is not necessary to find significance in all fields – one is sufficient for UNESCO (Ibid.). ## What is Cultural Mapping? As discussed in the previous chapter, the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009" (Republic Act No. 10066) requires all Local Government Units to conduct an inventory of significant cultural properties within their respective jurisdictions and submit the same to the concerned cultural agencies of the government. An inventory of significant cultural properties can only be comprehensively achieved by conducting a participatory cultural mapping in the community. Basically, cultural mapping is regarded as "an approach used to identify, record, and use cultural resources and activities for building communities" (Cook and Taylor 2013). Furthermore, the mapping of the cultural resources plays a critical role in Municipal Development Planning since it "effectively achieves a first step in the cultural planning process: to identify and understand a community's resources. Correspondingly, cultural resource mapping allows a community to: identify "where they are?”, “what resources they have?” and can play a significant role in assessing “where they want to be?” (Municipal Cultural Planning ... 2011). The National Commission for Cultural and the Arts (NCCA) considers cultural mapping as a systematic approach in identifying, recording and classifying the cultural properties or resources of the community in order to describe, visualize and understand them. It is an ongoing process and many of its benefits can only be achieved through the sustained efforts to update the database over time. “Cultural Mapping is a process of collecting, recording, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to describe the cultural resources, networks, links and patterns of usage of a given community.” - Stan Hagen, Minister of Tourism and the Arts, Canada. ## Why is Local Cultural Mapping Important? Cultural mapping is especially important to Local Government Units (LGUs), being the lead in the development journeys of local communities. Through the mapping project, the LGUs can recognize the vastness of cultural properties that exist within their political jurisdictions, and how these resources can be enriched not only for cultural development but also for social, economic and political development. Essentially, a cultural map is a visualized "database". Cultural mapping begins by identifying the cultural resources of the community and building and maintaining a comprehensive database that helps to organize and communicate information on culture and heritage. Through the conduct of cultural mapping and profiling, the Local Government Unit (LGU) and other stakeholders can identify the distinct cultural resources of their community and at the same time they can properly record a heritage resource for future reference. Moreover, the process can generate interest on heritage resources among users and non-users of cultural properties. Eventually, they can develop or establish necessary heritage conservation councils, who shall lead in the conservation of the local cultural heritage as well as develop policies and guidelines for safeguarding the cultural heritage of the community. Consequently, the cultural mapping project is implemented with the end view of mobilizing the community members in the conservation and safeguarding of their shared cultural resources and heritage. The conservation of cultural resources denotes the processes and measures of maintaining the significance of tangible cultural resources that encompasses preservation, restoration, reconstruction, protection, adaptation or any combination. ## The Objectives of a Cultural Mapping Project 1. To understand the basic frameworks on culture and heritage in the context of R.A. No. 10066 and other laws and mandates; 2. To appreciate the value of the various cultural resources of the community; 3. To apply the different tools and methods for gathering, classifying, and analyzing local cultural data and information through the conduct of cultural mapping; 4. To consolidate local culture profile and generate baseline data for cultural statistics; 5. To recommend mechanisms to integrate profiles and baseline statistics in LGU development plans, programs and activities. ## Building and Maintaining a Database A consolidated local culture profile implies generating baseline data on local cultural statistics. Hence, local cultural mapping is essentially a process of building and maintaining the cultural resource database of a particular community. The cultural database is essentially the bedrock of the participatory cultural mapping and profiling project. Databases allow us to collect, organize, store and retrieve information in a consistent and useful manner. Experiences in the field show that the use of a prescribe template or forms that show how information is typically organized is indeed helpful. This is pursued with the end view that the data can be integrated into the LGU’s overall framework for data management system. Examples of data formats and templates of cultural data forms are appended in this toolkit. In some cases, data on significant cultural properties that exist in the given area may not be readily available. However, there are numerous key informants in the area who can be sources of information. Hence, it is imperative for the project team to gather primary data from the elders and local cultural experts in the area utilizing the most appropriate methods of research and data gathering. On the other hand, there may be several organizations in the community that have already been maintaining and managing substantial information on local cultural database. Hence, it is likewise important to know who has it. If major gaps appear, then collecting primary data must be done. The first step in generating data on cultural properties is to come up with an initial list of existing cultural properties, suggested by the key informants, as well as the various sources of information and other important reference materials. The list would be expanded as the mapping process builds up. It is also worthwhile to consider how these data can be consolidated into a larger database that is tailored to the needs of the communities and the cultural mapping project. Remember that the focus of cultural mapping and profiling is the shared community heritage. The project team shall endeavour to build a database of the cultural properties in the area, to include the tangible and intangible cultural properties, culturally significant natural resources, civic heritage as well as information on prominent personalities, cultural institutions and organizations and the local cultural industry in the area. The members of the mapping team must strive to gather as much data about the cultural property, in order to describe its nature, value, history and significance. ## Objective-Driven Data Fields This toolkit enumerates the essential data that must be collected and described in course of mapping in of cultural properties in local communities. Detailed below are data fields and contents that are recommended to be gathered by the members of the project team. At the same time, several samples of the formatted profile are also provided below for reference. ### Background Information | Data Fields | Content | |---|---| | NAME | Common or local name and other names that refer to the cultural property | | PHOTO | A photographic image of the cultural property | | TYPE/NATURE | What is the nature cultural property? | | LOCATION | Place where the cultural property is located and/ or the area where the property has been found or sighted. | ### Description | Data Fields | Content | |---|---| | SUB-CATEGORY | UNESCO has identified for most of the categories and sub-categories of significant cultural resources. This will be especially useful for assessing the value of the resource and in performing economic analysis. | | DESCRIPTION | This descriptive text should expand on the category and sub-categories fields, providing a basic explanation of what the resource is; its purpose and background; and other important features. | | DIMENSION/S | This presents the measures of the physical dimension of the cultural property in terms of size, area, weight, and other specifications. | | OWNERSHIP / JURISDICTION | Who claims ownership of the property? Public or Private? Who has the jurisdiction in protecting the cultural property? | ### Significance | Data Fields | Content | |---|---| | SIGNIFICANCE | An appraisal of the value or the levels of significance that could either be -- historical, aesthetic, scientific, social, and socioeconomic, among others -- that are attributed to the cultural property by the members of community. This must be substantially accounted for by the profiler. | | COMMON USAGE | The unique and/or multiple uses of the community: e.g., basic needs, economic productivity, socio-cultural or religious rituals, and/or for other social events or functions. | | PEOPLE USING THE PROPERTY | Who and how many people are utilizing the cultural property as well as the people who install conservation measures on the cultural property. | | OTHER IMPORTANT DATA | Other information related to the cultural property and its significance. | | STORIES ASSOCIATED | Narratives that support the significance of the property as affirmed by the members of the community -- past, present or future. | ### Conservation Status | Data Fields | Content | |---|---| | CONDITION | Current condition of the cultural property. | | CONSTRAINTS / THREATS | Problems or constraints that affect the cultural property and would pose a threat to its significance or hinder the delivery of its multiple functions. | | PROTECTION MEASURES | Measures installed to maintain the good conditions or desired wellness of the cultural property. | | OTHER ISSUES | Other problems that indirectly reduces the significance of the cultural property. | ### Other Significant Data Other Significant Data that shall describe or determine the item's provenance, rarity, intactness or integrity and representativeness. ### References ## Assessment of Significance The assessment of significance, and the statement that it produces, are the basis for all good heritage decisions. It is a process that should be used as part of the management of all heritage items because it clarifies why the item is important. Furthermore, significance assessment requires knowledge about the item, its provenance, context, and comparative examples. It may be necessary to undertake research to establish enough knowledge to assess significance. Moreover, significance can apply to individual objects or collections, and to heritage places. Thus, significance can grow or fade over time – it requires revision. The figure below presents some basic questions that can guide the cultural mapping teams in determining the levels of significance of a cultural property. | | | |---|---| | **Who owned, used or made the cultural property?** **Where, when and how was it used?** **Is it documented?** | **PROVENANCE** | | **Is it a good example of its type or class?** **Does it represent a typical characteristic?** | **REPRESENTATIVENESS** | | **Is it in good condition for its type?** **Is it intact or complete?** **Does it show evidence of the way it was used in repairs or adaptations?** **Is it still working and still in its original, unrestored condition?** | **INTEGRITY** | | **Is it unusual or specially fine example of its type?** **Is it singular and unique?** **Does it have special qualities that distinguish it from others of its type of group?** | **RARITY** | **The Four (4) Fields of Value of Important Cultural Property** In addition, there is a range of situations when the assessment of the cultural property is necessary, to include the following: 1. Deciding about whether to retain the cultural property in the cultural profile of the local community; 2. Planning a thorough research or a heritage study of the cultural properties as follow-up on the findings and recommendations of the cultural mapping activity; 3. Preparing a conservation management plan of the LGU; 4. Considering an item for listing on the Philippine Registry of Cultural Properties (PRECUP) or on the schedule of heritage items in a local environmental plan; or 5. Preparing a statement of environmental effects or a heritage or environmental impact statement as part of the development and building approval process. The matrix below (adapted from UNESCO Memory of the World) shows some guide questions that can be of help in distinguishing the values of a cultural property that correspond to the four (4) primary fields or criteria of significance. | **Primary Fields (Criteria)** | **Inquiry Questions** | |---|---| | **a. Historical Significance** | Is the object associated with a particular person, group, event or activity? What does it tell us about a historic theme, process or pattern of life? How does it contribute to our understanding of a period or place, activity, person, group or event? | | **b. Scientific Significance** | Do researchers have an active or potential interest in studying this kind of object? How is it possible to predict future research today? What aspects make it of research interest? Can it be fairly certain that the item will reveal new research data if/when it is further investigated? | | **c. Aesthetic Significance** | Is the object well designed, crafted or made? Is it a good example of a style, design, artistic movement, or an artist's / craftsperson's work? Is it original or innovative in its design? Is it beautiful (by common standards, not personal view)? | | **d. Social Significance** * **Socioeconomic** * **Sociopolitical** * **Spiritual** | Is the object of particular value to a cultural, ethnic or other community today? How is this importance demonstrated? Has the Museum consulted the relevant community about is importance to them? Can you site instances as to how the heritage play a role in binding people together? How does the heritage contribute to the economic life of the community? | ## The Phases of Cultural Mapping The principal output of a cultural mapping activity is a local culture profile. Cultural mapping is an ongoing process. And many of its benefits can only be achieved through sustained efforts to update the cultural data and to compare it over time, which requires continued resources and ongoing partnerships. A cultural mapping project is implemented in distinct phases or stages to be discussed below. ### The Scoping and Negotiation Phase involves familiarizing the LGU requesting for the cultural mapping project, discussion of the needed participants, length of the project, and logistical requirements for the project. Basically, it would also be in this phase that the NCCA and the LGU would build partnership and commitment in the implementation of the project. A Memorandum of Understanding between the NCCA and the LGU shall be accomplished before the start of the cultural mapping project in the locality. ### The Social Preparation Phase where the LGU shall orient the various stakeholders of the locality of the objectives and processes of cultural mapping project. They should also brief the intended participants/stakeholders of the project which includes introduction of the Cultural Mapping Project, identification of mapping teams, identification of needs/ logistics/concerns, logistical planning and identification of areas of the locality to be mapped. ### Training of the Local Team Phase Chosen local mappers will be trained using the modules developed by the NCCA and then sent out to the field to do research during the training days hence a draft filled-out mapping forms on the cultural properties of the locality will be produced after the training days. The major parts of the modules to be discussed are Basic Concepts on Culture and Cultural Heritage, Mapping and Documenting the Natural Heritage, the Tangible Built (Immovable) Heritage, the Tangible Movable Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Personalities and Institutions and the LGU Programs, Activities, Legislations and other Resources for Culture. ### Data Gathering Phase After the training, the mappers will continue the Data Gathering Phase which will go for about three to six months in order to substantially gather data on the major components of the culture profile depending on the size of the municipality and the number of mappers. Moreover, mappers will be tasked to do actual mapping (i.e. fieldwork and encoding of data) of their assigned cultural properties or practices within the agreed time frame. They must be committed to attend regular monitoring and updating meetings, which would at least be scheduled on a weekly basis. ### Data Validation/Reporting of Draft Profile ### Finalized Profile ### Analysis of Mapping Results and Planning ### Utilization ## Identifying Potential Partners As emphasized, a successful cultural mapping and profiling project is a result of a strong partnership forged among multi-stakeholders. Hence, it is necessary to ensure quality collaboration exhibited by the partners involved in all the phases of the project. The purpose of the partnership must be clarified early in the process. Aside from the Cultural Agencies, the potential partners in Cultural Resource Mapping may include: - **Municipal LGU Partner.** Through an Office Order issued by the Local Chief Executive, the following departments or offices shall be actively engaged in the cultural mapping project, among others: Municipal Development Planning Office (MPDO); Municipal Tourism Office and Cultural Services; Economic Enterprise Development Office; Public Library; Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Disaster Risk-Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Municipal Civil Registrar Office, Municipal Assessor's Office, and the Sangguniang Bayan Secretary. - **Community/Private Partners.** The private partners may include the local Council for Culture and the Arts, Municipal Heritage and/or Historical Society, Private Tourism-related Institutions, Community or Private Museums, Galleries, Archives, and even the Local Church / Parish Councils, among others. - **Education Department.** The Department of Education (Regional, Division or District levels) shall likewise be involved as well as the Local School Boards and selected Tertiary Educational Institutions. - **Other Government Agencies.** Senior staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO and/or PENRO), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR); Local Offices of the Department of Agriculture (Provincial or City Offices), can also help in generating cultural data. - **Additional Partners.** The project may also benefit from building partnerships with other mapping initiatives of Government and Non-Government Organizations, which could help amplify awareness of the project as well as make its data, outcomes and benefits available to other groups that may find them valuable in other applications. ## The Partnership Cooperation Agreement Prior to the actual conduct of the cultural mapping, it is imperative to define the objectives and the scope of the project which are agreed-upon by the identified project partners. All parties collaborating in the project should agree on the terms of reference which include the following elements: - Project overview and Project contacts; - Purpose of the project, objectives, benefits and critical success factors; - Project scope, phasing and timelines, including budget; - Terms of data use/ data privacy/ ownership; - Members of the local cultural mapping team and other project committees. Likewise, the Project Partners shall agree on the specific deliverables and identify the person(s) most responsible for: - Convening and communicating to the group; - Collecting and consolidating data; - Updating and maintaining the database; - Analysing data entry; and, - Producing cultural resource mapping outputs (e.g., maps, graphs, reports, online resources and other communications). ## Negotiations with Partners The NCCA has been assisting various local government units (LGUs) in the conduct of cultural mapping projects. In the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed between NCCA and the LGU, the roles and responsibilities of the partners are negotiated and clearly spelled out. Shown in the box below are the commitments that the NCCA and the partner LGU would have agreed upon. ### Main Responsibilities of Partners **The NCCA shall:** - Conduct capability-building seminar-workshops for cultural workers and artists who will conduct the cultural mapping; - Provide technical assistance and mentoring during the whole duration of the Program; - Provide transportation for the Workshop Facilitators to the locality and the facilitators' honoraria. - Assist the LGUs in identifying, protecting and preserving their cultural heritage. **The LGU shall:** - Organize the participants for the project and ensure their continuous participation; - Compile important reference Materials; - Provide logistical needs for the Training of the Local Mapping Team that would include but are not limited to: - a) Venue for the training, team meetings and other gatherings related to the project - b) Providing materials for the workshops (pens, paper, notebook, LCD projector, computers for encoding, mapping kits, etc.); - c) Arranging for local transportation and food of the mappers during the workshops and during the fieldwork; - d) Organizing documentation team during the workshop and documentation gadgets (recorders, camera, etc.); - e) Assigning a Project Coordinator to follow-through

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