Kabataan, kultura, kabilin

Culture and heritage are  associated with the old, the rare and the few.  Involving the young in  efforts to preserve our cultural heritage was once thought impossible  but  the KKK (Kabataan, Kultura, Kabilin) program of the Cultural Heritage Program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) is making it possible and non-expensive.  The KKK is a joint project with the Sociology-Anthropology Department of the University of San Carlos and the Department of Tourism.  It  answers the needs arising from the six years of the Gabii sa Kabilin held every third Friday of the national heritage month of May.  This year’s Gabii sa Kabilin had 25 institutions participating (from the original six).   The Cultural Heritage Program came up with the scripted itinerary of the sites to be visited categorized into museums, historical sites, monuments, parks, plazas, churches, buildings. Initiated by its executive director Dr. Jocelyn Gerra and her assistant Karl Damayo, it  mapped out zones for the convenient transfer of  visitors with city buses at the assigned stops for pick up and drop off.   There were enough men and women in uniform securing the gates and premises of the sites but  there was a glaring lack of guides and storytellers in the buses and in the different sites.

I was invited by Dr. Gerra to sit down  with the staff and  faculty of the courses mentioned above.  A module consolidating the syllabi in Philippine History and Rizal; Social Science courses on Contemporary National Development Issues and Philippine Society and Culture; and Anthropology courses on General Anthropology and Introduction to Cultural Anthropology will  be evolved to fit the prepared itinerary .  This task was given to me.  Looking at the content and context of the module, Philippine History will definitely put  local participation in every part of the history, and local heroes will also be located in relation to the study of the life and writings of Rizal.  In the Social Science Courses, students will also be familiar with the concept of a mega city as Cebu City is headed towards being one; and the students of Anthropology will have a chance to learn from the recent archaeological findings in Cebu done by the department.  The KKK program is intended to make students know the geography of Cebu City and the origin of the names of the streets of Cebu City as well as the stories behind the names of these streets.  The visits will also concretize the historic events in the city.   The most important objective to be achieved is that the students will be able to tell the story of their city.

For the convenience of the teachers, the staff has prepared a scripted travelogue for every course. The activities could even serve as the final activity or even final examinations for the courses.  A special feature of this program is the selected group of students from among the students of the classes concerned who will have special training in tour guiding.  They will act as guides in the trips of the classes as well as assist in the subsequent Gabii sa Kabilin.  These students have been screened and accredited by the Department of Tourism.   I have met this group on August 27 to give them an overview of the history of Cebu City in preparation for the KKK day on September 29 where they will implement the heritage itinerary prepared by the Cultural Heritage program of RAFI.

The program could well be replicated in other universities especially those offering tourism programs.  If tourism is the industry of the present and the future, then it is better be one where the visited country or city sells and tells her culture and heritage in their true essence.  I marvel at how Malaysia and Indonesia advertises themselves.  Indonesia is a newcomer in advertising and I like how they feature where they come from (a great civilization) and “look at us now” – Remarkable Indonesia. Hopefully with the KKK program fully implemented, replicated and mastered, we can advertise Cebu  as an “Amazing Cebu.”