MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda welcomed the approval by the bicameral conference committee of the Senate and the House of Representatives of a bill that will further develop the preservation of the Philippines’ cultural assets through cultural mapping.
Legarda, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, said the Congress bicameral committee’s passage of the reconciled version of Senate Bill No. 1841 and House Bill No. 5110 is a significant milestone in protecting and preserving cultural diversity in the face of growing globalization.
“Cultural heritage affirms our identity as a people. Our history and traditions reflect our values and beliefs. But, more than the cultural demonstration of our heritage, the wealth of knowledge that has been passed on from one generation to another to the next is much more significant and valuable as this knowledge would be the proof of our uniqueness and what will define us as a human race,” she said.
“And so, we are working hard for the Cultural Mapping bill to be passed because we believe this is one of the best legacies that we could give the future generations of Filipinos,” Legarda, the primary sponsor and author of SBN 1841, added.
Both versions of the proposed bills sought to revise Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, to mandate the local government units to conduct a cultural heritage mapping of their areas – tangible and intangible, and natural and built heritage – and to address new threats from a fast-changing cultural landscape due to digital transformation.
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), other cultural agencies, and specified national agencies in the country are delegated to coordinate with LGUs to comply with the cultural mapping mandate.
One significant provision of the bill, which was adopted from the House version, is the promotion and preservation of cultural heritage through an integrated education approach.
With the bicameral committee’s approval of the measure, the bill is now subject to ratification by both the Upper and the Lower Chambers before President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs it into law.
“As I always say, culture is the narrative that binds us as a nation, and we owe it to our ancestors and heroes who built the Philippines as it is today. I thank my colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives for your unwavering support of this measure,” Legarda stressed.
The Congress’ bicameral committee convened to discuss the disagreeing provisions of SBN 1841 and HBN 5110.
The conference was participated by Legarda, Sen. Nancy Binay, and Sen. Koko Pimentel as conferees of the Senate, Pasig Lone District Representative Roman Romulo, Pangasinan 4th District Representative Christopher De Venecia, and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro as conferees of the House of Representatives, and officials of the NCCA and other cultural agencies.