THE United States Embassy in the Philippines is launching its heritage conservation training course in Iloilo City from April 17 to 20, 2018.
The training program will focus on best practices in protecting and preserving irreplaceable cultural sites and objects.
The University of Santo Tomas Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET) will facilitate the four-day training course.
It will be participated by 27 representatives coming from local and provincial governments, heritage councils, academic institutions, civic organizations, and dioceses.
International experts will train them on conservation management planning, including historical research, legal frameworks, architectural and materials documentation, conditions and hazard assessments, and conservation policy-setting.
There will also be a whole day field work as participants are tasked to develop short conservation plans for heritage structures in Iloilo City.
Iloilo City, dubbed as the “City of Mansions,” is an ideal venue as it is a home to well-preserved heritage structures during the Spanish and American period such as churches, ancestral houses, and commercial buildings.
Counselor for Public Affairs Carolyn Glassman said the training course is a demonstration of the U.S. government’s commitment to safeguard the country’s cultural heritage for future generations.
“The United States continues to strongly support efforts to restore, protect and conserve the Philippines’ rich and diverse cultural heritage through a variety of projects and programs,” she said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy over the years has provided numerous grants to restore heritage structures and document intangible heritage in the country. These include conservation of the San Sebastian Basilica in Manila; restoration of the La Immaculada Concepcion Church in Guiuan, Eastern Samar; documentation of the Tabon Cave Complex in Palawan; documentation of the Mangyan Baybayin Syllabic Script in Mindoro Oriental; conservation of ethnographic collections at the Baguio Museum; and documentation of oral traditions in Ifugao, among others.
