CASE STUDY

Falconry, a living human heritage in Morocco

The art of falconry has developed over time, initially a means of collecting food, to be more
connected to the conservation of wildlife, cultural heritage and social interaction within and across
societies. Falconers train, fly and raise prey birds (which includes, in addition to falcons, birds such
as eagles and hawks) in accordance with their own collection of practices and ethical values,
forming a relationship with them and being their primary source of defense. The procedure, which
is found in many countries around the world, can differ with respect to some factors, such as the
type of equipment used, but the procedures remain identical. Falconers see themselves as a
collective and can fly for weeks at a time to join in the exercise, while sharing stories of the day
together in the evenings. They see falconry as a connection to the past, particularly for communities
for whom the practice is one of their few remaining links to their natural environment and
traditional culture. Knowledge and skills are shared within families by formal mentoring,
apprenticeship or instruction in clubs and schools in an intergenerational way. In some countries, it
is mandatory to pass a national test to become a falconer. Field meetings and festivals offer
opportunities to exchange information, raise awareness and encourage diversity within groups.

Falconry, a traditional form of hunting, is included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
List. For more than 4000 years before the time of the pyramids, falconry has preserved an
unbroken thread of history as a hunting technique. For almost 200 years, fathers have handed
down expertise to their children through a chain of intangible heritage, taking this craft to us in the
21st century. Falconry, dating back more than 4000 years, is one of the oldest relationships
between man and bird, the UNESCO submission stated. Falconry is a traditional activity that uses
trained prey birds to take quarry in its natural state and habitat. It is a natural activity because over
millions of years the falcon and its prey have evolved together; their interaction is an age-old
drama. In his understanding of behavior, this leads to a fascinating insight into how nature works
and poses an intellectual challenge to the falconer. His task is to bring the actors on the stage of
nature together. The falconer must establish a strong relationship and synergy with his bird to do
this.

Here in the Philippines there are a lot of cultural Heritage but there is more cultural heritage that
needs to be preserve, and here are the 5 examples;
1. Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
2. Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary
3. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
4. Church of San Agustin in Manila – Intramuros, Manila
5. Historic City of Vigan
 The Subterranean River National Park in Puerto Princesa is one of the world's most spectacular
cave systems. The Philippines' rare and remarkable features of stunning limestone karst
landscapes, pristine natural beauty, intact old-growth forests, and distinctive wildlife have earned it
a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are 1,380 endangered and endemic animal and
plant species on this mountain in Davao Oriental. The sightings of endangered animals such as the
Philippine eagle, flying fox, tarsier, and civet are one of the most thrilling aspects of visiting Mount
Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary. Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary was included in
the UNESCO list of Philippine heritage sites because it represents a complete, substantially intact,
and highly diverse mountain ecosystem in a significant biogeographic area of the Philippines,
according to UNESCO. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is one of the Philippines' most impressive
heritage sites. Most tourists imagine this UNESCO World Heritage Site, which spans 130,028
hectares and includes the North and South Reefs, to be a diver's paradise. Tubbataha Reefs Natural
Park is one of the best diving sites in the Philippines, with over 350 different kinds of coral and over
500 different kinds of fish. The reserve also preserves one of the region's only surviving breeding
seabird colonies. San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila, like the other baroque churches that
are cultural heritage sites in the Philippines, has notable features such as high Baroque retablos
(altars) and wall buttresses separating cripto collateral chapels. The ceiling paintings in the tromp
l'oeil style are what set this world heritage site apart.Established between 1587 and 1606, the
UNESCO World Heritage Site San Agustin Church is the country's oldest and longest-standing
church. During World War II, the church was the only remaining structure in Intramuros, and lastly,
According to UNESCO, Vigan, which was established in the 16th century, is Asia's best-preserved
example of a planned Spanish colonial town. One of the reasons for its inclusion in the Philippines'
cultural heritage sites is that its architecture represents the fusion of cultural elements from across
the Philippines, China, and Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape unlike any other in East
and Southeast Asia. The acknowledgement aids in the identification of Filipino heritage sites that
showcase our culture and natural wonders. But, in addition to giving these man-made structures
and natural wonders a name, it also aids in their preservation and conservation.
Here in our country, Philippines, there are a lot of destinations and tourist spots that have their
own beauty, and not all of the beautiful tourist spots in the Philippines are spotted, some are
destinations are still blooming and still hidden waiting to discover, but there are hindrances in the
safekeeping of this cultural heritage in our country and that’s because of war and political, national,
and religious strife, looting, stealing, illegal export and import, illicit trade of cultural property,
degradation, neglect, loss of or alteration of heritage, pollution, and disappearance are all threats to
cultural heritage.