Phl elected to UNESCO World Heritage Committee - Loren

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines won a seat in the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during the recent elections held in Paris, France, Sen. Loren Legarda said Wednesday.

Legarda, head of the Philippine delegation to the 37th UNESCO General Conference, said the Philippines won with 116 votes, second only to Turkey.

Citing UNESCO Permanent Delegate and Ambassador to France Cristina Ortega, the senator said 22 candidates competed for 12 seats, with the Philippines among those elected to the committee.

Legarda said she warmly welcomes this development since the country has been devastated by recent disasters including the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol that damaged structures included in the World Heritage Tentative List.

"For a nation that is overflowing with rich culture and with natural and man-made wonders, this is certainly a great blessing," Legarda said in a release.

The World Heritage Committee decides on properties to be inscribed on the World Heritage List and those to be included or deleted on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

The committee implements the World Heritage Convention, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from states parties, according to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines.

The Philippines sites included in the World Heritage List are its Baroque Churches, the Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in Palawan; the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras; the historic City of Vigan; and the Puerto Princesa Subterrenean River National Park.