The Department of Tourism has brought attention to the need to protect the country’s sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list during the recent World Heritage Travel Expo at the Venetian Convention and Exhibition Center in Macau.
“We appeal to the people, tourists who visit, and local communities, to take care of these sites. These are sources of our livelihood as much as they are wellsprings of our national pride. We also owe their preservation not only to our fellow Filipinos but to the world and our future generations,” said Ace Durano, Secretary of Tourism.
Durano extended his call to the other sectors. “We are also seeking help from schools, local government units, and the basic unit of our society–the family–to [exhort] our children in taking concrete steps to promote and give value to our heritage sites, as well as to our other tourism attractions.”
Five of the country’s sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List are the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, and the Historic Town of Vigan.
The Baroque churches made it to the list because of their European Baroque architectural style designed and carried out by Chinese and Filipino craftsmen. Of the four churches located in Manila, Santa Maria, Paoay, and Miag-ao, one was built by the Spanish in the late 16th century.
Next on the list is the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park which “is an example of a site that has derived great benefit from its World Heritage status,” said Durano.
Alongside the worldwide attention, Tubbataha Reef harnessed tourism receipts, impelled preservation, and got the local community involved once it earned its heritage site designation, according the tourism chief.
A testament to the country as an island paradise, the next heritage site is another waterscape, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park.
The Subterranean Park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with its underground river.
“It’s good to note that Subterranean Park is no. 1 on the New 7 Wonders of Nature ranking list. It stands out from the rest because it’s a river that has strong tidal behaviors, due to its direct connection to the sea. It’s also every conservationst’s dream–a river that seamlessly flows into a mountain and forest landscape, forming a teeming habitat of biodiversity,” said Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Undersecretary for Tourism Planning and Promotions.
Another notable site is the 2,000 year-old Ifugao Rice terraces, an agro-ecosystem representing an unparalleled feat of engineering, and rife with history, environment, and culture. It is an enduring art form and scientific design built by hand using simple tools.
“One of the distinctive monuments to the genius of our ancestors, the Rice Terraces has already been declared an endangered heritage, which all the more spurs (the need for) our concern and support,” said Jarque.
Also up north is the Historic Town of Vigan, which is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that has no parallel anywhere in Asia.
The UNESCO attributes the inclusion of Vigan to its unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning. It is an exceptionally intact and well-preserved example of a European trading town in Asia. (Manila Bulletin)
