THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will be celebrating this year’s National Heritage Month here in Davao City on May 2 at SM City Davao to further increase the public’s appreciation of cultural heritage and multicultural tradition of Indigenous People.
This year's National Heritage Month is anchored on the theme, “Pambansang Pagkakaisa para sa Pamana (National Unity for Heritage)”.
Rev. Fr. Harold Retoria, OSA, President of Commission of Cultural Heritage, said in a press forum yesterday that they wanted to promote the country’s heritage.
"The purpose and objective of the celebration is to promote consciousness and respect and love for the legacies of the Filipino heritage then to also strengthen the awareness of the people regarding the importance of the tangible and intangible culture heritage,” Retoria said.
The celebration will not only showcase different concepts from local artists but also view our cultural heritage story of hope, love, unity, and resiliency through the representations of traditional and contemporary arts.
This celebration will also include forums on the local heritage that needs to be preserved and a cultural mapping for the Marawi heritage that has been destroyed by the war.
The Heritage month covers all dates in May which will showcase Youth Forums on Heritage.
Retoria likewise urged the public to be one with them in preserving and protecting the country’s heritage.
Meanwhile, NCCA National Commission for Music Southern Mindanao representative Maree Cantaoi-Cayas said they will also launch in Davao City the Kultoura app, which features information on heritage sites, historic schools and churches, nature parks, popular attractions, famous landmarks and other must-see places in various parts of the country. This was already launched last year in the National Capital Region and they wanted to promote it again in Mindanao. (Bomie Combong Jr. and Siham Darkouch, NDDU Interns)