Legarda: More jobs from cultural tourism
By Russell Jay M. Manglicmot
More jobs can be generated in sectors related to preserving the country’s heritage, said Senate Committee on Cultural Communities Chair Loren Legarda on Friday. In a press release given by her office, Legarda said that the “The restoration and conservation of the age-old structures in various parts of the country—baroque churches, heritage houses, colonial buildings and bridges—is an area where we can generate jobs for Filipinos skilled in building methods.” The senator focuses on several heritage churches were damaged and destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol in 2013. Meanwhile, skills in producing quality craftsmen are no problem because of The Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation Inc., a vocational school that specializes in masonry, carpentry, metal works, painting, plumbing woodcarving and stone carving, among others. The vocational school is an initiative of the Spanish Embassy in Manila, in partnership with its development agency AECID, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Technology Education and Skills Development Authority. Students that graduated in The Escuala have been always involved in the restoration and the rehabilitation of Intramuros, establishments of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, the Banaue Rice Terraces, colonial churches and bridges, and other related heritage restoration projects. The senator said that she believes many citizens and groups are also working towards cultural preservation. “These may not be as big as the Historic City of Vigan, the Ifugao Rice Terraces or the Escuela Taller, but all our efforts when put together can usher a cultural renaissance and revitalize Filipinos’ love for our culture and heritage,” she said. |