SENATOR Pia Cayetano said that yesterday was the perfect opportunity to launch the heritage show in Cebu at the Museo Sugbo, especially amidst heritage issues in Manila.
She said she is fighting for the preservation of the Rizal Shrine, Sta. Ana heritage site, Army-Navy Club and Admiral Hotel.
The National Archives of the Philippines (NAP), in cooperation with the Cebu Provincial Government and Museo Sugbo, launched the heritage show with Cayetano as guest speaker.
The launching coincided with the celebration of the 113th anniversary of the National Archives and the Executive Consultative Forum on National Inventory of Records for Region VII.
“I guess that in the 1960’s and 1970’s, nationalism is so important to us. Because we want to ensure that all over the country, we will not forget the importance of heritage. It is so important that we cannot move forward if we don’t understand the past,” Cayetano said.
“We wanted to forget our past. We wanted to forget Spanish. We wanted to forget how we feel being colonized by the Spaniards. But, in reality, so much of how we are today was influenced by Spanish colonization,” Cayetano said.
Importance
Cayetano, chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Culture and Arts, was accompanied NAP Executive Director Victorino Mapa Manalo, Board Member Miguel Antonio Magpale and Cebu Provincial Tourism Officer Grace Paulino.
She said the overview of the importance of arts and culture to Cebu prompted her to call on local government officials who were present yesterday to think it as one of the most important events that they will attend to for the rest of the year.
“You start the week, most of you, with flag ceremony in your respective office. And throughout the year you will attend a hundred and one official functions. But if you look at where you are today, you will never completely understand where you are going and what issues you face if you do not know your past,” Cayetano said.
Demography
Cayetano said that in the past, she chaired the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.
“Demography is the people—male, female, young, old, poor, rich, urban, rural and that’s demography. And this will relate to health, education, culture and arts,” Cayetano said.
She said she will support the restoration of heritage churches that were damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu and Bohol last year.
But she urged church and local leaders to get experts in the restoration job because it may not be realized if they will only rely on contractors who have less knowledge about it.