CULTURAL MAPPING. Northern Samar provincial tourism officer Josette Doctor. The official said the provincial government is eyeing the completion of cultural mapping in 2026 as part of its efforts to protect, promote, preserve and utilize the rich cultural heritage in the province. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial tourism office)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Northern Samar provincial government is eyeing the completion of cultural mapping in 2026 as part of its efforts to protect, promote, preserve and utilize the rich cultural heritage in the province.
Northern Samar provincial tourism officer Josette Doctor said in a phone interview Wednesday they are upbeat to finish the activity within two years with the completion of mapping in three towns and ongoing in eight towns.
The completed cultural maps are in the towns of Laoang, Palapag, and Lavezares while still ongoing are in the towns of Catubig, Las Navas, Biri, Silvino Lubos, San Antonio, Pambujan, San Roque, and Capul.
The provincial government is still capacitating 11 other municipal governments to conduct the activity in their areas.
“We have been holding seminar-workshops to capacitate tourism officers, planning officers and cultural workers in order to document, protect, promote, preserve and utilize the rich cultural heritage for the benefit of the provincial and local government units in the province,” Doctor told the Philippine News Agency.
The Cultural Mapping program is anchored with existing laws such as the National Cultural Heritage Law of 2009 or Republic Act No. 10066).
The law mandates local government units to conduct a comprehensive cultural mapping within their areas of jurisdictions for both tangible and intangible and natural and built heritage and submit the same to the concerned cultural agencies of the government.
Doctor said cultural mapping is participatory wherein the local government unit and the community provide support to the program.
Cultural mappers are also residents of the town and are trained locally.
From tangible-movable to tangible-immovable heritage, natural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, cultural institutions, and personalities, all of these are areas of concentration for the mappers who will identify and map those that have value to their community, according to the official.
The ongoing cultural mapping is in partnership between the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the provincial government of Northern Samar under Governor Edwin Ongchuan and is meant to preserve Northern Samar's rich heritage. (PNA)
