Online inventory for cultural properties, events pushed

CEBU, Philippines - A local information technology expert is leading an initiative to build a comprehensive online inventory of at least 50,000 cultural properties and historic events in the country.

Joel Aldor, an IT project manager for a Filipino-Australian IT firm based in Manila and Sydney and a cultural heritage practitioner, said a comprehensive data base is vital for heritage conservation, risk management, and other initiatives and efforts towards the preservation and restoration of historical sites in all local government units in the country.

This initiative is one of the highlights of this year’s three-day Liwanag World Festival, which will kick off today at the Cebu Provincial Capitol, to enjoini civil society groups and movements to look over the historical, present, and emerging landscape of societal movements in culture, economy, and politics.

 The festival was initiated by the Movement of Imaginals for Sustainable Societies through Initiatives, Organizing, and Networking (MISSION) intended to encourage the participants to collectively reflect on where they are now, what they’re doing to transform the world, and what is emerging among them as new ways to be relevant, effective, and cohesive.

This year’s theme is CO-CREATING A NEW PHILIPPINES: The Next Step for Innovative Societal Movements in Transforming a Nation.

 With the data, Aldor said they want LGUs to utilize and maximize them for strategic and sustainable efforts like risk management, which is in line with the heritage conservation incentives bill that would encourage owners of heritage properties to conserve their buildings and houses.

 “If the LGUs already know that the area is historically significant then they will be able to designate it for protection and for development purposes,” Aldor said.

 “We want to feature/share the ideas about creating movements that will create positive impacts to the masses; awareness and holistic participation towards cultural heritage,” he added.  

MISSION is a civil society movement consisting of volunteers from different professions that leads various initiatives with the hope of transforming our society into greater livability and sustainability in the fields of education, environment, culture, healthcare, women’s and children’s rights, agriculture, entrepreneurship, urbanization, and governance.

Also, Aldor said they are promoting for “open source platform” where people can freely contribute their knowledge, stories and facts on a certain heritage site.

 The inventory or the cultural mapping, which is in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Architects, runs on a web platform called Arches, developed by the Getty Conservation Institute and World Monuments Fund. The inventory’s website is www.philippineheritagemap.org.

 Moreover, Madett Gardiola will also be sharing other initiatives in transforming the society into a more livable community by building and sustaining movements.

 She said mediation, conflict resolution, and peace building is essential in sustaining movements.

 But, Gardiola said sustaining movements is not easy if the members lack knowledge, strong organization, values clarity, as well as finance.   — (FREEMAN)