Cultural bankruptcy

The Philippines is blessed with a rich and extraordinary cultural heritage, but has failed to exploit this unique advantage to promote the country, nor has it done significant steps in preserving its historic wealth. Many of our important and irreplaceable structures have given way to commercialization, and the repositories of our culture are literally becoming a thing of the past. Many of our historical and national treasures either lay in shambles or are subject to constant neglect.

Churches have been unsystematically renovated and relieved of precious artifacts like beautifully wrought religious images made of ivory and wood. Few Maranao torogan – ornate and elaborate royal edifices for the Philippine Muslim nobility – still stand. Old bridges are overgrown with vegetation, or worse, dismantled or built over.

Rare artifacts within archaeological sites are looted by treasure hunters and sold to private collections. Valuable paintings and sculptures by national artists have found their way to auction houses, like a Fabian de la Rosa piece that went to the auctioneer’s table because the National Museum could not purchase it.

Archaeological sites have been destroyed, and the scientific data within them lost. While many countries all over the world vigorously take measures against such despoliation, indiscriminate diggings and underwater explorations have already damaged many of our priceless cultural artifacts.

The loss of cultural heritage is a great national tragedy. Culture defines our national identity, mirrors and shapes our values, beliefs and aspirations as a people, and is our link to our rich past and a useful guide for the future. It is, therefore, plain good sense to preserve and conserve our historical and cultural heritage to prevent cultural bankruptcy.

Investing in the preservation of our heritage means keeping our unique legacy. It is the foundation upon which we can trace our identity and chart our future direction. By preserving our heritage, we keep our integrity as a people.