NCCA to LGUs: Invest in Culture

When asked can the National Center for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) help local government units since culture cannot be eaten, NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. had this to say, “How can you eat if you cannot even talk?”

This terse answer underlines one of the misconceptions about culture pervading in Philippine society since it was granted independence: that culture is something to be aspired for but has no value in our daily lives.

In a press briefing on Friday, April 10, de Leon proudly asserts to local chief executives, “look at Vigan City and see how it took advantage of its cultural heritage to increase its tourist bookings.”

“The problem is that we see ‘culture’ as a noun, but when you think of ‘culture’ as a verb then things can start moving,” de Leon stressed.

He explained that culture as a verb means to grow or nurture, which is what local governments need to do in order to cash in on our unique cultural heritages in our localities.

For example, Vigan City Mayor Eva Medina made a culture map of the city and discovered there are other cultural heritages which could be developed to provide livelihood for her constituents.

“She held culture-based planning sessions prior to asking for help to conduct heritage trainings in the city on pottery,” Joseph “Sonny” Cristobal, head of the NCCA’s Philippine Cultural Education Plan, said.

It was in the trainings where Viganueños relearned the almost lost art of indigenous pottery which was slowly dying until Mayor Medina stepped in.

“Now the initial trainees are in Spain practicing what they learned.

So new batches of trainees are being taught this cultural heritage,” Cristobal emphasized.

The NCCA helped in developing the training materials for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority-accredited school.

“And take note, Vigan is the only LGU in the country which has a festival every other month,” Cristobal added.

“Hindi sila nagsasawang i-promote ang kanilang mga produkto (they do not tire of promoting their indigenous products),” de Leon underscored.

These festival are meant to promote their indigenous products to tourists.

For Baguio City, de Leon proposes the establishment of tourist buffer zones which would highlight the various crafts and cultures of Cordillera tribes.

He was particular about the Ifugao wood carvers who have set up shop along Asin Road leading to the Asin Hot springs.

While saying the wood carving industry there was becoming too Westernized in design, de Leon still insisted that making the area a tourist buffer zone could maximize the potential of the area and at the same time protect the cultural integrity of the workers.

“Pwede namang doon sila magtrabaho, kung saan nandoon ang mga turista pero iba ang uuwian nila na kung saan mame-maintain nila ang kanilang culture (The Ifugao carvers could work in the buffer zone where the tourist can see them and then head home in another place where their culture could be protected and maintained),” he added.

By investing in culture, the local chief executive could provide adequate livelihood for his constituents, de Leon said, adding the NCCA can help through the conduct of culture mappings and trainings.

“Ang kultura ay malaki ang kontribusyon sa local na ekonomiya kung alam lang ng mayor ang gagawin (Culture could contribute a lot to the local economy if only the mayor knows what to do),” he stressed. (PNA) CTB/Sam Bautista (STRINGER)