CULTURAL RELIC: Acting First Assistant Secretary Greg Cox of the Office for the Arts turns over the Igorot ax to Philippine Ambassador Hellen De La Vega. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Australian government has returned to the Philippines a mid-20th century axe used for woodcarving and hunting by Ifugao communities in northern Luzon.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Australia, the axe was taken out of the country in violation of Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Law.
From the United States, it was brought to Australia, where it was intercepted by the Australian Border Force (ABF), which alerted the Cultural Property section of the Office for the Arts and led to an investigation.
After consultation with an expert on Asian art history and curatorial studies, and a restitution request from Manila, the axe was seized so it could be returned.
In a ceremony held on Nov. 19 in Canberra, Acting First Assistant Secretary Greg Cox of the Office for the Arts turned over the artifact to Philippine Ambassador Hellen De La Vega.
“Cultural and ethnographic objects such as this ax help us understand and appreciate other cultures and broaden our knowledge of traditions and practices that have shaped other nations,” the Australian government said in a statement.
In a message read by De La Vega, National Commission for Culture and the Arts chair Arsenio Lizaso emphasized that “cultural heritage is priceless.”
“It is a reflection of the value systems and traditions transmitted from generation to generation. It helps us understand who we were, who we are, and who we may become,” Lizaso said.
De La Vega thanked the Australian government for its efforts to return the axe, noting that 2021 marks the Year of Filipino Pre-Colonial Ancestors.
She said that the Philippines and Australia, which celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations this year, have a rich indigenous heritage that continues to shape and influence the people and future of both nations.