WHAT IS CULTURAL HERITAGE?

Society is made up of customary ways, beliefs, and traditions that has been developed overtime.

From the word “culture”, it basically means the ways of how the group of people live in a society. It also

demonstrates the customary ways and values shared by the community. Meanwhile, “heritage” is defined

as the inherited uniqueness that is passed from generation to generation that may include artistic

expression, values, traditions, and lifestyles. So, combining the two words with two different meanings,

“Cultural Heritage” conveys the identity of a society with different ways of living that is established from

past generation and will be passed to the future generations. This is what makes a society distinct from

each other.

For my personal description, Cultural Heritage is the art that expresses the legacy which helps to

connect the past, present, and the future. It is the beauty of the society that displays the both the history

and present life of the people. It displays richness and uniqueness that is not being developed in a short

span of time, rather it takes time to establish because it includes the day-to-day living of the people. We

might think that Cultural Heritage is just about historical sites and artifacts. However, it has a wider

concept behind that. Cultural Heritage involves the things we see with our naked eyes such as the natural

landscapes, water forms, archeological sites, monuments, paintings, architecture, or even sculptures. But

it is not constrained by these things because it also demonstrates the oral history and social practices

because it shows the way of living within a society over the past years even century. Hence, each one of

us contributes to the Cultural Heritage of our country and it evolves continuously because our culture

changes eventually.

As a Filipino speaking, Cultural Heritage is rich in the Philippines. I have been able to describe

Cultural Heritage because I am able to discover it myself in our country. As we enter a museum, we see

different ways and techniques displayed by different Filipino artists all over the country because there are
specific values and culture being recognized by different groups of people. There are a lot of expression

and concepts behind every intangible Cultural Heritage because Philippines is a diverse country. We are

prosperous in history being colonized by different countries within different era. Thus, we have adopted

some influences from neighboring countries through interaction. We see beautiful churches, monuments,

sculptures, and paintings across the Philippines. It speaks for itself that we have wealthy of historical life

and developing cultures. This country is an archipelago made up of diversity. But with the help of Cultural

Heritage, the identities of the Filipinos have been shaped because it provides the sense of unity and

distinctiveness among others which helps the generations to better understand more about the culture

and traditions. It also helps the Filipinos to visualize and remember the roots and history of the nation.

Lastly, it protects of who we are. Cultural Heritage is the opportunity for us to look back and

appreciate our country and countrymen because it is what define us. As we roam around the Philippines,

we see the beauty of the natural environment. It displays natural wonders (tangible Cultural Heritage),

cultural sites, and historical destinations. In fact, there are nine (9) World Heritage Sites that can be seen

around the country including the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park,

Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary, Heritage

Village of Vigan (Calle Crisologo), Paoay Church, Church of Santo Tomas de Villanueva, Church of Nuestra

Señora de la Asuncion, and Church of San Agustin in Manila. It is no doubt that Philippines has a lot of

tourist destination because it does not just offer the aesthetic value of the country but also the richness

of the Cultural Heritage that made the special identities of the Filipinos.

As part of the youth of this generation, Cultural Heritage plays an important role as it serves a s

bridge for the past, present, and the future. It provides clues for the history which offers connections for

the present approach of this generation. With the Cultural Heritage, the youth are able to be aware of

what happened, what is happening, and what will happen in the country. There are different society with

different culture that forms a nation. Thus, a nation is consisting a lot of Cultural Heritage and its totality
distinguishes us as a whole. It is not just about the beauty of the tangible and intangible Cultural Heritage,

but also about the symbolism behind it. There is more than on what we see because there are stories and

connections behind every belief, tradition, way of living, as well as the monuments, sculptures, and

painting. Through all of this, the youth are capable to find the sense of belongingness because it truly

expressed natural, historical, and cultural life. It offers better visualization and understanding to

communicate from the past and to look for the future during the present time. It creates a path towards

the future generation that keeps the nation in line despite of diversity and globalization. So, it is very

important for the people to be aware in conserving and restoring Cultural Heritage of a society because

through it, people can find the sense of solidarity in the community. Thus, it does not just offer distinction

but also gives direction to the society in the next generations with the help of our own roots.

REFERENCE:

Fernando, C. (2021, February 11). Breathtaking UNESCO World Heritage Sites Philippines to Visit in 2021.

ZenRooms Blogs. Retrieved February 16, 2021 from https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/unesco-

world-heritage-sites-philippines/