Philippine Cultural Heritage

The Philippines is not only rich in natural resources but also boast its vast cultural heritage that has been pass down from generations.

1. The Cultural Philippine Heritage by: Niña Bienna Marie Y. Monterde , LPT

2. Philippine Cultural Heritage

3. What is Cultural Heritage? Cultural Heritage is an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values. Cultural Heritage is often expressed as either Intangible or Tangible Cultural Heritage (ICOMOS, 2002 ). Source: http ://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/illicit-trafficking-of-cultural-property/unesco-database-of-national-cultural-heritage-laws/frequently-asked-questions/definition-of-the-cultural-heritage /

4. What is Cultural Heritage? As part of human activity Cultural Heritage produces tangible representations of the value systems, beliefs, traditions and lifestyles. As an essential part of culture as a whole, Cultural Heritage, contains these visible and tangible traces form antiquity to the recent past. Source: http ://www.unesco.org/new/en/culture/themes/illicit-trafficking-of-cultural-property/unesco-database-of-national-cultural-heritage-laws/frequently-asked-questions/definition-of-the-cultural-heritage /

5. Dimensions of Heritage INTANGIBLE TANGIBLE

6. PHILIPPINES Located in the continent of Asia, the Philippines is the second largest archipelago in the world after Indonesia. There are more than 7,100 individual islands counted within the Philippines’ borders, of which only about 2,000 are inhabited. The islands are clustered into the three major island groups of Luzon, Visayas , and Mindanao - while a further 5,000 islands are yet to be named. The Philippines covers 115,124 square miles of land and 706 square miles of water, making it the 73rd largest nation in the world with a total area of 115,830 square miles .

7. Tangible Heritage Natural Heritage Environment Natural Landscape Landforms Coastal and Inland Water Sources Flora and Fauna Terrestrial Marine

8. Man-made Built Heritage Cultural Landscape Archaeological Sites Historic Urban Sites / Heritage Groups Monuments, Buildings or Structures Tangible Heritage

9. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Heritage Park, 2015 United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, 1993 Location: Middle of the Sulu Sea, 181 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa , Palawan Tubbataha is every diver's heaven. It is, after all, right smack in the center of the Coral Triangle, the global center of marine biodiversity. Housed in almost 100,000 hectares of the reef ecosystem are over 350 species of coral, almost 500 species of fish, and various kinds of whales, dolphins, sharks, and turtles. It also protects one of the few remaining colonies of breeding seabirds. It was the first-ever national marine park to be declared in the country after it was established in 1988 by former President Corazon Aquino. Tangible Heritage

10. Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, 2014 Location: Mati , San Isidro, Davao Oriental, Philippines Forming a mountain ridge running north-south along the Pujada Peninsula in the south-eastern part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, the Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary has an elevation range of 75–1,637 m above sea level and provides critical habitat for a range of plant and animal species. The property showcases terrestrial and aquatic habitats at different elevations, and includes threatened and endemic flora and fauna species, eight of which are found only at Mount Hamiguitan . These include critically endangered trees, plants and the iconic Philippine eagle and Philippine cockatoo . Tangible Heritage

11. Mayon Volcano Location: province of Albay in Bicol Region, Philippines Beautifully symmetrical Mayon volcano, which rises to 2462 m above the Albay Gulf, is the Philippines' most active volcano. The structurally simple volcano has steep upper slopes averaging 35-40 degrees that are capped by a small summit crater. The historical eruptions of this basaltic-andesitic volcano date back to 1616 and range from strombolian to basaltic plinian , with cyclical activity beginning with basaltic eruptions, followed by longer term andesitic lava flows. Eruptions occur predominately from the central conduit and have also produced lava flows that travel far down the flanks. Pyroclastic flows and mudflows have commonly swept down many of the approximately 40 ravines that radiate from the summit and have often devastated populated lowland areas. Mayon's most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1200 people and devastated several towns. Tangible Heritage

12.   Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Inscribe in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999 Location: Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of Palawan The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with its underground river. The river is unique because it flows directly into the sea, and its lower portion is subject to tidal influences. The area also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a whole ecosystem --- from mountain to the sea; and protects forests, which are among the most significant in Asia. Tangible Heritage

13. Chocolate Hills Location: Bohol, Philippines The Chocolate Hills form a rolling terrain of haycock-shaped hills – mounds of a generally conical and almost symmetrical shape .  Estimated to be from 1,268 to about 1,776 individual mounds, these cone-shaped or dome-shaped hills are actually made of grass-covered limestone. The domes vary in sizes from 30 to 50 metres (98 to 164  ft ) high with the largest being 120 metres (390  ft ) in height. Bohol's "main attraction", these unique mound-shaped hills are scattered by the hundreds. During the dry season, the grass-covered hills dry up and turn chocolate brown. This transforms the area into seemingly endless rows of Hershey’s “chocolate kisses”. The branded confection is the inspiration behind the name, Chocolate Hills Tangible Heritage

14. Baroque Churches of the Philippines Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993 These four churches, the first of which was built by the Spanish in the late 16th century, are located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay and Miag-ao . Their unique architectural style is a reinterpretation of European Baroque by Chinese and Philippine craftsmen . Church of the Immaculate Conception of San Agustin (Manila ) Church of La Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Church of San Agustin ( Paoay ) Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Tangible Heritage

15. San Agustin Church Location : Intramuros , Manila , Philippines Built in 1587, the San Agustin Church is the oldest stone church in the Philippines, the only one that remains as the original evidence of the 16th century Spanish architecture. It has defied several earthquakes and the heavy shelling of both Japanese and American forces in 1945 and now stands as a reminder of the grandeur of the past.  The structural design of the church is extraordinary. It boasts of the only example in the country of a barrel vault, dome and arched vestibules, supporting its choir loft, all made of stone. Its façade is notable for its two pairs of columns – the lowest pair in Doric style, the upper pair in Corinthian topped by a pediment surmounted by a Cross. The main door, carved out of Philippine molave , has a bas-relief of St. Augustine and his mother, Santa Monica. San Agustin Church represents the art and technology of Spanish, Chinese, and native cultures fused together “to suit human sentiments and faiths that found expression in customs and traditions that were evolved through the centuries.” Tangible Heritage

16. Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church Location: Santa Maria , Ilocos Sur The Church of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Santa Maria is unique for its utter disregard for the traditional Spanish urban plan of constructing the church to face the plaza, and less imposing religious and official buildings grouped around. It also has a citadel appearance as the church, with its convent and bell tower, stands alone on the crown of a solitary hill encircled by a stonewall, with stone stairways leading to the church.  It is the only church in the Philippines exuding the ambience of a Mediterranean hill town with its convent built parallel to the church façade and its bell tower detached from the main church. Evoking a Chinese pagoda, the bell tower of octagonal shapes of decreasing diameter is crowned by a small dome, tapering to the sky with an oriental grace. Tangible Heritage

17. Church of San Agustin Location : Paoay , Ilocos Norte , Philippines Paoay’s San Agustin Church, built in 1604, is one of the most outstanding variants of “earthquake baroque” in the Philippines, where the primary consideration was to design the structure for earthquake protection . The façade of San Agustin Church is astounding but its most prominent feature is the phalanx of buttresses that juts out perpendicularly from the sidewalls, purposely to strengthen the walls – and the entire structure – against earthquake damage. Fourteen massive S-shaped buttresses rise in rhythmic cadence from the ground to the roofline.  The church is an eye-catcher as it emerges from a beautiful open space, unlike many other churches located within urban settings.    Tangible Heritage

18. Tangible Heritage Miag-ao Church or Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva Location: Iloilo , Philippines Built in yellow-orange sandstone, the large fortress-church of Miag-ao was completed in 1797. It served as a fortress against raids of marauding Moro pirates.  The church is amazingly beautiful because of its two asymmetric pyramidal towers and its finely sculptured, yellow sandstone façade. Its façade’s carving is the pinnacle of Filipino naïve art, in which craftsmen abandon all restraints to interpret Western decorative styles in the local folk idiom. The central element in the façade is Saint Christopher, clad like a Filipino farmer with rolled-up trousers . He carries the Christ Child on his back while holding on to a lush coconut tree for support. Beside him are guava and papaya trees, flanked by ornamental urns. The scene merges Western Catholic iconography with a folk interpretation of coastal Iloilo countryside

19. Historic Town of Vigan Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1999 Location: Vigan , Ilocos Sur, Philippines The 16th century town of Vigan is “an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in East and East Asia.” Its architecture reflects the fusion of cultural elements from the Philippines, China and Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that has no parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia . Seemingly impervious to time, spared from rebellion and the ravages of war, Vigan has remained unchanged and its many preserved historic sites – more than 180 edifices – make it look like “a piece of Spain.” With its grand cathedral, massive mansions with red-tile roofs and spacious balconies, narrow cobblestone streets, horse drawn carriages, and friendly faces peering out of large windows, Vigan is a place where “time stood still.” Tangible Heritage

20. Tangible Heritage Rice Terraces Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1995 Location: Ifugao Province, Cordillera Region , Philippines The 2,000-year old Banaue Rice Terraces – the most extensive anywhere in the world – were carved into the mountains of Ifugao by ancestors of the Batad indigenous people. The terraces are located approximately 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4,000 square miles) of the mountainside . Known as the “eight wonder of the world,” the terraces were carved with only simple tools and bare hands. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system, an ingenious complex of bamboo pipes and canals, drawing water from streams created by bubbling springs located in the mountain rainforests. Considered as a monument to man’s genius in turning a rugged and forbidding terrain into a source of sustenance, the rice terraces stand to be the most awe-inspiring man-made landscape in the Cordilleras. They are also invariably called “The Stairway to the Sky.”

21. Magellan’s Cross Location: Cebu City, Philippines Magellan’s Cross holds a very big part of the history of Cebu. It is believed to be a Christian cross planted by the Portuguese and Spanish explorers headed by Ferdinand Magellan. It was planted upon their arrival in Cebu on March 15, 1521. That day also marked the birth of Christianity in the land. Tangible Heritage

22. Batanes Location: Batanes , Philippines Characterized by a complex of terrestrial, wetland and marine ecosystem, the Batanes group of islands consist of 10 small islands bounded by the Eashi Channel on the north, by the Pacific Ocean on the east, by the South China Sea on the west and the Balintang Channel on the south. It is one of the last remaining areas in the Philippines having unique natural physiographic features (wave-cut cliffs, cave-like outcrops, secluded white sand beaches) resulting from its position where strong winds and fast currents have etched out its distinct morphology. It is an important flyaway for many migratory bird species, and the deper portions of the marine environment are the few remaining sites where pink and red corals ( Corallum sp.) are found. The site is the only area in the Philippines where traditional architecture is of stone in response to the wind and monsoon stresses rather than of the more typical, tropical, impermanent materials (wood, bamboo, thatch ) commonly used in village architecture. Due to its isolation from the rest of the country, the traditional culture of the area has likewise remained intact. Tangible Heritage

23. Rizal Park Location: Batanes , Philippines Still widely known as ' Luneta ' (its name until the 1950s), Manila’s iconic central park is spread out over some 60 hectares of open lawns, ornamental gardens, ponds, paved walks and wooded areas, dotted with monuments to a whole pantheon of Filipino heroes. As the place where José Rizal was executed by the Spanish colonial authorities, it's also of great historical significance. The Rizal Park Visitors Centre provides a map detailing some 40 sights within the park. Rizal Park an atmospheric place to take a stroll, particularly late afternoon, early evening and on weekends. Here you'll find the Rizal Monument, fronted by a 46m flagpole and guarded by sentries in full regalia, which contains the hero’s mortal remains and stands as a symbol of Filipino nationhood. Tangible Heritage

24. Intangible Heritage Culture Traditions (Oral and Written) Customs Values Trade and Skills

25. Intangible Heritage Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao Inscribed in 2008 ( 3.COM ) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2001 ) The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao community, which is well known for its rice terraces extending over the highlands of the northern island of the Philippine archipelago. It is practised during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. Thought to have originated before the seventh century, the Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, each divided into 40 episodes. A complete recitation may last several days. Since the Ifugao’s culture is matrilineal, the wife generally takes the main part in the chants, and her brother occupies a higher position than her husband. The language of the stories abounds in figurative expressions and repetitions and employs metonymy, metaphor and onomatopoeia, rendering transcription very difficult. Thus, there are very few written expressions of this tradition. The chant tells about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and traditional practices, and reflects the importance of rice cultivation. The narrators, mainly elderly women, hold a key position in the community, both as historians and preachers. The Hudhud epic is chanted alternately by the first narrator and a choir, employing a single melody for all the verses.

26. Intangible Heritage Darangen epic of the Maranao people of Lake Lanao Inscribed in 2008 ( 3.COM ) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (originally proclaimed in 2005) The Darangen is an ancient epic song that encompasses a wealth of knowledge of the Maranao people who live in the Lake Lanao region of Mindanao. This southernmost island of the Philippine archipelago is the traditional homeland of the Maranao , one of the country’s three main Muslim groups. Comprising 17 cycles and a total of 72,000 lines, the Darangen celebrates episodes from Maranao history and the tribulations of mythical heroes. In addition to having a compelling narrative content, the epic explores the underlying themes of life and death, courtship, love and politics through symbol, metaphor, irony and satire. The Darangen also encodes customary law, standards of social and ethical behaviour, notions of aesthetic beauty, and social values specific to the Maranao . To this day, elders refer to this time-honoured text in the administration of customary law. Meaning literally “to narrate in song”, the Darangen existed before the Islamization of the Philippines in the fourteenth century and is part of a wider epic culture connected to early Sanskrit traditions extending through most of Mindanao. Though the Darangen has been largely transmitted orally, parts of the epic have been recorded in manuscripts using an ancient writing system based on the Arabic script. Specialized female and male performers sing the Darangen during wedding celebrations that typically last several nights. 

27. Intangible Heritage Tugging rituals and games Inscribed in 2015 ( 10.COM ) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Tugging rituals and games in the rice-farming cultures of East Asia and Southeast Asia are enacted among communities to ensure abundant harvests and prosperity. They promote social solidarity, provide entertainment and mark the start of a new agricultural cycle. Many tugging rituals and games also have profound religious significance. Most variations include two teams, each of which pulls one end of a rope attempting to tug it from the other. The intentionally uncompetitive nature of the event removes the emphasis on winning or losing, affirming that these traditions are performed to promote the well-being of the community, and reminding members of the importance of cooperation. Many tugging games bear the traces of agricultural rituals, symbolizing the strength of natural forces, such as the sun and rain while also incorporating mythological elements or purification rites. Tugging rituals and games are often organized in front of a village’s communal house or shrine, preceded by commemorative rites to local protective deities. Village elders play active roles in leading and organizing younger people in playing the game and holding accompanying rituals. Tugging rituals and games also serve to strengthen unity and solidarity and sense of belonging and identity among community members.

28. Intangible Heritage Buklog , thanksgiving ritual system of the Subanen Inscribed in 2019 ( 14.COM ) on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, 2018 Buklog is an elaborate thanksgiving ritual system of the Subanen , an indigenous people in the southern Philippines. The head of a host family, usually a village chief called ‘ timuay ’, plans the ritual system to express gratitude to the spirits. The rituals ensure harmony among family, clan and community members, as well as among the human, natural and spiritual worlds. They include asking the spirits for permission to gather materials from the forest, presenting coin offerings, inviting the spirits of the departed to feast, invoking spirits of water and land, and music and dance. Afterwards, participants dance on an elevated wooden structure called the ‘ Buklog ’ – a sacred and social space – which resonates with a sound believed to please the spirits. This is followed by a community dance marking the renewal of spiritual and social relationships within the community. Though the ritual system remains the community’s strongest unifying force, there are several social, political and economic threats that compromise its viability, notably the influx of other cultures into the Subanen’s traditional homeland, changes in family dynamics and economic constraints. Therefore, although the Subanen have developed highly adaptive mechanisms to ensure their culture survives, the Buklog is now regarded as highly vulnerable, facing several severe interrelated threats and constraints

29. Intangible Heritage Ati-Atihan Festival The Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated every January, culminating on the month’s third Sunday. 800 years old, the festival is known as the oldest festival in the country and the precursor to both Cebu’s famous Sinulog festival and Iloilo’s Dinagyang — all of which are held today in honor of the Santo Niño (a statue of The Child Jesus). But despite its Catholic affiliations today, the roots of this festival had nothing to do with religion at all.

30. Intangible Heritage Sinulog Festival The Sinulog festival is one of the grandest and most colorful festivals in the Philippines with a very rich history. The main festival is held each year on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City to honor the Santo Niño, or the child Jesus, who used to be the patron saint of the whole province of Cebu (since in the Catholic faith Jesus is not a saint, but God). It is essentially a dance ritual which remembers the Filipino people’s pagan past and their acceptance of Christianity. The festival features some the country’s most colorful displays of pomp and pageantry: participants garbed in bright- colored costumes dance to the rhythm of drums, trumpets, and native gongs. The streets are usually lined with vendors and pedestrians all wanting to witness the street-dancing. Smaller versions of the festival are also held in various parts of the province, also to celebrate and honor the Santo Niño. There is also a Sinulog sa Kabataan , which is performed by the youths of Cebu a week before the Grand Parade . Aside from the colorful and festive dancing, there is also the SME trade fair where Sinulog features Cebu export quality products and people around the world flock on the treasures that are Cebu.