Marcos Jr. approves enhanced cultural heritage program

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has enacted a measure that strengthens the conservation and protection of the country's cultural heritage sites, and directed localities and agencies to map cultural projects.

Republic Act No. 11961 amends National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, and mandates the creation of a Philippine Registry of Heritage which would be managed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

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This means that all cultural and natural properties deemed culturally significant must be registered, including those privately-owned. This will be confidential in accordance with the Data Privacy Act.

"All cultural agencies concerned shall individually maintain an inventory, evaluation, and documentation of all cultural properties and natural properties of cultural significance declared according to their category and shall submit the same to the NCCA," the law reads.

"LGUs shall likewise maintain an inventory of cultural property and natural properties of cultural significance under their jurisdiction and shall furnish the Commission a copy of the same," it added.

Private collectors and owners of cultural property should do the same, according to the new law, saying information they would share would remain confidential.

This does not mean that they would be "divested of their possession and ownership thereof even after registration of said property as herein required."

On the local government units' part, the new law provides for the comprehensive cultural mapping in their areas in coordination with relevant cultural agencies.

The law also directs the creation of the Cultural Mapping, Research, and Planning Division under the NCCA headed by a division chief.

The new office will be the repository of cultural mapping outputs and would provide technical assistance and capacity building with local government units, communities, and sectors.

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