MANILA, Philippines — The Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism, has partnered with the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) to hold a Research Summit about cultural heritage education this week.
The third edition of the Nayong Pilipino Research Summit, with theme “Cultural Heritage Education for Lifelong Learning”, seeks to bring awareness about the state of cultural education in the Philippines and allow participants from various sectors to advocate cultural heritage education for lifelong learning.
According to UNESCO, charting the valuable contribution of cultural heritage education “is the key to overcoming global challenges and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The summit, made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the NPF and AdZU last October 10 to develop research cooperation and capacity building between the two institutions, will be held on Oct. 25 to 27, 2023.
NPF announced that the opening ceremony will be held at the Philippine Normal University in Ermita, Manila. The second day of the summit, on the other hand, will be conducted online through the Facebook Page of the NPF and will highlight the programs of the Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP).
It will conclude with a closing ceremony that will take place at the AdZU in Zamboanga City.
Those who wish to participate may register for free through: https://bit.ly/NPFRS2023
NPF Executive Director Gertie Duran-Batocabe considers the partnership with AdZU “historic” as this the first time that NPF is holding the summit at a university outside of Metro Manila and in Mindanao.
“With the roster of scholars of ADZU, we can all look forward to shedding light on the current culture heritage education in the country, while contributing to the social learning and discourse of the role of cultural heritage for national and local development,” Duran-Batocabe said in a statement.
“May this partnership and convergence between us teach our young leaders the principles of research, scholarship, culture, heritage, as well as good governance and train them to be upright and responsible citizens; let this endeavor nurture the minds of our youth to become lifelong learners themselves,” she added.
AdZU President Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal also said that the MOU with NPF shows the two institutions’ commitment to foster deeper understanding and appreciation of Philippines’ culture and identity.
“It’s not merely a collaboration, it's a fusion of vision and aspirations. Together, we are poised to magnify our reach, sharing of wealth of research, engaging cultural performances and insights that not only educate but evoked reflection and inspiration,” Andal said.
The NPF said that through the Research Institute, the NPF’s knowledge development center, experts would look into existing public policies on Philippine natural and cultural heritage, sustainable heritage tourism and ecotourism, tourism governance, cultural education, cultural and creative industries, and related fields, among others.
Last year, the second annual research summit highlighted the importance of culture in the effective achievement of sustainable local and national development with the theme “Kultura para sa Likas-Kayang Pag-unlad / Culture for Sustainable Development.”