Cebu City Heritage Charter underway

CEBU, Philippines — The first ever heritage summit scheduled next month is expected to pave the creation of Cebu City Heritage Charter that will serve as guide for all practitioners of heritage conservation and stake holders on how to manage and conserve heritage sites.

The two-day summit will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on December 1 and 2.

A heritage charter is very important to guide all heritage conservationists in the management of historical sites and their associated environments as defined by the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA).

The city public information office reported that the Cebu City Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) will present a draft “Heritage Charter” for stakeholders’ input during the summit.

Vice Mayor Raymond Garcia said the “Heritage Charter” will then be the basis for crafting ordinances in relation to culture and heritage, including instilling awareness on the importance of the city’s history and culture.

“We only had ordinances but wala pa gyud tay charter maong important gyud ni siya for us to have a basis (in making local heritage laws),” said Garcia, who is also the CHAC chairman.

Presenting the draft charter during the summit will enable different sectors to provide their inputs and suggestions that will be consolidated into a final draft before presenting to the City Council for approval.

The creation of the heritage charter is also in line with Mayor Michael Rama’s plan to develop the city’s waterfront area into a heritage district.

“In line gyud ni siya because gusto man gud nato nga himoon natong heritage district atong waterfront areas. And with this charter, naa gyud ni siyay trickle-down effect, maong everything is connected ra gyud aning atong mga plano,” Garcia added.

The proposed heritage district is the waterfront area that spans from Cebu International Port all the way to the South Road Properties.

The summit will also include speakers that will discuss Cebu’s archaeology and “urban planning and disaster risk management for natural heritage”.

“The summit will not only aim to develop awareness but it also focuses on bringing importance to the nearby communities of our heritage sites and their preservation,” Garcia said.

Prior to the summit proper, some pre-summit activities have been lined up which include logo-making contest for CHAC and a summit painting contest where exciting prizes await the winners. — FPL (FREEMAN)