UP Visayas will officially launch the Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras Project at the University of the Philippines Visayas Little Theater, Iloilo City, on December 14, 2023.
Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda is expected to grace the event, along with National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Chairman Victorino M. Manalo. UP Visayas Chancellor Clement C. Camposano will sign the Memorandum of Agreement together with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treรฑas and governors of the five provinces of Panay and Guimaras, namely Hon. Arthur R. Defensor, Hon. Jose Enrique M. Miraflores, Hon. Joaquin Carlos Rahman A. Nava, Hon. Fredenil H. Castro, and Hon. Rhodora J. Cadiao. They will be joined by the Presidents of the following State Universities and Colleges (SUCs): Dr. Pablo S. Crespo, Jr. of the University of Antique, Dr. Emily M. Arangote of Aklan State University, Dr. Editha C. Alfon of Capiz State University, Dr. Lilian Diana B. Parreรฑo of Guimaras State University, Dr. Gabriel M. Salistre of Iloilo Science and Technology University, and Dr. Nordy D. Siason, Jr. of Iloilo State University of Science Fisheries and Technology. Local executives and provincial tourism officers of the various provinces as well as the cultural mapping teams of the SUCs are also expected to join the event.
The Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras Project is a priority cultural project of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda. This project answers the mandates of Republic Act No. 11961, otherwise known as the โCultural Mapping Lawโ which is โAn Act Strengthening the Conservation and Protection of Philippine Cultural Heritage through Cultural Mapping and enhances the Cultural Heritage Education Program.โ The said law was passed on August 25, 2023 which mandates local government units (LGUs) to conduct a cultural mapping of their significant natural, tangible, and intangible cultural assets.
The University of the Philippines Visayas through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension (OVCRE) will spearhead the project in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Education Region VI, the local government units (LGUs) of Aklan, Antique, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Capiz, and the various state universities and colleges (SUCs) of Panay and Guimaras. (๐๐๐-๐๐๐๐)
