HERITAGE AS A CATALYST FOR PROGRESS

by Ivan Anthony Henares (Delegate/Philippines, Tokyo Summit 2008)

A strong national identity can become a potent force to push a nation to become great. Unfortunately, the Philippines has yet to solidify its own identity as one nation. There is thus a need to strengthen pride of place and nationalism, especially among young people, in order to harness that cultural identity and unite the country to be able to move forward as a nation.

Built heritage is a potent symbol for national identity. The Heritage Conservation Society is the prime mover and advocate for the preservation of Philippine built heritage resources. We do this "in order to contribute towards the establishment of a Society that preserves and values its cultural heritage through advocacy and volunteerism, project implementation, education and information." Our vision is "a Filipino society that values and preserves its cultural heritage in order to instill pride of place and strengthen Philippine national identity."

Heritage is an asset people do not realize they have until it's finally gone. When it's gone, you can't bring it back. It's sad when people realize how heritage could have raised the quality of life in a community. And when they finally understand it, they try to recreate it, but cannot.

Part of our mission is to make heritage relevant to Filipinos today. And part of heritage conservation is making heritage economically viable if you want it to survive. The term there is adaptive reuse. We use heritage buildings by carefully altering the interiors to suit modern needs. Most of the important tourist districts in the world have revolved around heritage.

Sad to say, many businessmen in the Philippines are so short-sighted, they consider old buildings as useless, tear them down, and build hideous structures to replace them. If packaged in the right way, people will flock to heritage areas like Binondo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo in the Old Manila district and that will increase business. Dr. Trevor Hogan, an Australian sociologist said, "If Quiapo were in Melbourne, the rich and famous would be scrambling to live in it."

Our neighbors have fine examples of adaptive reuse, districts with preserved exteriors and chic interiors, such as Boat Quay and Clarke Quay in Singapore, San Ma Lo and Plaza Senado in Macau, and the Bund in Shanghai. They have been transformed into trendy attractions.

As we continuously destroy every trace of our past, we are diminishing our pride as a Filipino race. There will be no visible symbols that we can use to bring us forward as one people. And many poor communities in countries around the world have turned their situation around because of heritage and cultural tourism. You can check out the Hue Declaration on Cultural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation to guide everyone on how heritage has become a tool for poverty alleviation.

I look forward to a Philippines with a strong sense of nationalism and cultural identity. It is my hope that Filipinos, especially the current generation of the youth, will value our rich cultural heritage and be proud of everything that is Filipino. Preserving our culture and heritage is the duty of every Filipino. Once that love for country and everything that is Filipino is instilled in every citizen, it will create a realization of our moral obligation for civic participation and volunteerism that would address all these pressing concerns that transcend sectors.

For more information on the Heritage Conservation Society, click here. You may also visit Ivan's travel blog, Ivan About Town.

Ivan, a staunch advocate of cultural heritage, is a Trustee of the Heritage Conservation Society and member of the International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). His blog was adjudged Best Travel Blog at the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards.