BONTOC, Mtn. Prov.– The National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has conducted the first ever orientation on Local Cultural Development Planning under the the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 last August 30, 2018 at the Ridge Brooke Hotel, Samoki, this town.
In the welcome remarks, Atty. Amador P. Batay-an, Provincial Administrator, acknowledge the participant representatives from the municipalities, composed mainly of the Municipal Tourism Action Officers, Cultural Officers, and representatives of some provincial offices.
He took exception to the non-inclusion of the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representatives (IPMRs) in the municipal and barangay levels saying that they also take care of culture.
Edison Molanida, Project Coordinator of the Office of the Executive Director of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts emphasized that the inputs in culture and the arts will be part of the larger Municipal and Provincial Plans.
“By so doing, we promote Philippine Culture and Philippine Values which are but part of the plans of the President Rodrigo Duterte”, he said.
The main objectives of the orientation are to strengthen familiarity with common terms in culture and to make plans on culture and the arts.
Memorandum Circular No. 2013-98 of the Department of the Interior and the Local Governments (DILG) encourages Local Government Units to support the conservation of national cultural heritage.
Another Memo Circular No. 2017-133 calls for the creation of Local Culture and the Arts Councils in the local government units to help craft and implement related projects and or strengthen existing ones.
Rico Pableo, Jr., Executive Director of NCCA, stressed in his written message, that establishing the base line information of the Local Culture and the Arts Councils by the local government units, and in compliance with the previous Memorandum Circular, an inventory LGU-based Local Culture and the Arts Councils is currently the pursuit of the NCCA in coordination with the DILG.
It is to be noted that 2017 DILG Seal of Local governance requires the essential areas in Tourism, Culture, and the Arts and Cultural Promotion and Conservation.
The presence of a Council for the promotion of culture and the arts and the availability of cultural property in the LGU, and the budget appropriated for the conservation and preservation of cultural property are the essential details in the Seal of Local Governance.
Tyronne Lawey, a staff of the Provincial Tourism Office said that the orientation will lead to the conduct of cultural mapping wherein cultural mapping teams will be organized in the municipalities to identify and inventory cultural properties, including the Arts, aimed for the preservation, conservation, and promotion of the same.**Roger Sacyaten
