Cultural, historical heritage to be digitized

MANILA, Philippines - EMC Corp., the world leader in information infrastructure solutions, and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will conduct a nationwide digitization project to convert and integrate CCP’s entire audio-visual collection of Philippine arts and culture into digital and emergent forms, for the preservation of the nation’s treasures for the use of future generations.The digitization project will involve storing, protecting, managing and making accessible on EMC information infrastructure systems CCP Library’s vast collection of national, cultural and historical materials which currently consists of approximately 40,000 hours of audio, 30,000 hours of tapes from its film archive, 6,500 photos, 28,000 photographic slides and at least 56,000 manuscripts of literary works. Part of its program is to also digitally capture 1,500 art and 1,500 historical pieces for future content migration.

“Poetry, film, music, visual art and expressions of humanity are all part of a country’s national, cultural and historical heritage and yet, many of these critical documents and cultural artifacts are at risk of disappearing without the right information infrastructure systems,” says David Webster, president of EMC in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. “EMC recognizes and supports the protection of such important heritage of the Philippines for the enjoyment and appreciation of future generations of Filipinos.” In supporting CCP’s vision on the importance of preserving the nation’s heritage, EMC has been closely collaborating with the CCP team and providing the necessary EMC products and technologies, including training support, to start the project. “It has been a rewarding challenge to help CCP create a virtual and interactive environment to make information on the Philippines’ rich cultural past available and accessible to everyone. This is EMC’s way of giving back to the community after having operated in the Philippines for the past 10 years,” says Ronnie Latinazo, country manager of EMC Philippines.The CCP was established in 1969 to preserve Filipino arts and culture, as well as promote the development and appreciation of national arts and culture. Over the years, the documentation of cultural performances and growing repository of materials from other art forms were accumulated to provide entertainment and educational materials to the public.“We commend EMC’s generosity and dedication as a responsible corporate citizen. CCP is honored to be a beneficiary of this digital preservation initiative. It shows EMC’s spirit and vision of making technology a vital tool in building a better Philippines and outstanding Filipinos. This partnership will benefit not only this generation but the youth of the future as well,” says Dr. Raul Sunico, CCP president.