By: Penn T. Larena
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) conducted its first Capacity Building Training-Workshop on Local History and Heritage held at the Guy Hall of Silliman University in Dumaguete City on August 9-10, 2022.
The workshop aims to share the specialized skills and expertise with its local partners in solidarity with the recently adopted National Action Plan for Local History and Heritage Development 2022-2027 (Cebu Framework 2022-2027).
During the two-day workshop, NHCP resource persons held lectures on historiography, local history practice and professionalization, heritage survey and documentation, and materials conservation, which will be put into practical use by the workshop participants in field demonstration in Dumaguete City as part of the completion exercises.
Local tourism officers, architects, engineers, cultural officers, Historians, Writers, and Heritage and cultural workers of the different Local Government Units of Negros Oriental along with students of history and architecture from the different schools of Dumaguete City participated in the 2-day Capacity Building Training-Workshop on Local History and Heritage.
Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio B. Remollo reiterated his support for the timely conduct of the training to promote and raise awareness of our local history, heritage, and the conservation of major historic sites in the city and province.
Amongst the speakers of the training workshop were; NHCP Commissioners and VP for Academic Affairs of Silliman University Dr. Earl Jude Paul L. Cleope, NHCP Supervising History Researcher Ian Christopher B. Alfonso, Juvelyn D. Nierves History Researcher II, Engr. Jim Franklin Kalaw and other experts.
The workshop field study of heritage sites in the City includes the Provincial Capitol 1924, Gabaldon Building of Negros Oriental High School 1930s, Colonial Fountain at Quezon Park, Blas Elnar Building 1950s, Serafin Teves Pre-war House known as 'Dakong Balay' and Pantawan People's Park in Rival Boulevard.
The training-workshop is presented by the NHCP in partnership with the City Government of Dumaguete through the Dumaguete City Tourism Office and Silliman University.
This workshop will be the first in a series of workshops scheduled in 2022 with various local government units and higher education institutions. The NHCP thanks the City Government of Dumaguete, through the Office of the Mayor and the City Tourism Office, and the Silliman University for their invaluable support for the success of this project.
The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine historical heritage through research and publication, conservation, marking of historic sites and structures, and administration of national shrines.