Key Points
- The ICOMOS 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium was recently held in Sydney.
- Heritage conservation is not just the conservation of buildings but also includes cultural indigenous landscape like the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordillera
- Ivan Henares has long been a heritage advocate and started blogging in 2005 to promote heritage conservation.
' Our heritage (pamana) is an important part of our Filipino identity, the conservation of cultural heritage sites does not only preserve our national identity as Filipinos it also has economic value.' Ivan Anthony Henares, Secretary General, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines
Henares adds 'It helps bring in economic activity as a result of tourism. These are things that we shouldn't take for granted. We might see it as an added expense but we should see it as an investment. As Filipinos live and travel around the world, they see how much value and investment other countries devote to their historical sites and buildings.'
Henares believes that the preservation of cultural and historical sites should not be seen as an expense but as an investment in preserving our identity and our place in the historical global narrative. Credit: Ivan Anthony Henares
'We should always aspire to ensure that we look after our historical sites not only so that the next generation will fully understand our identity but also to ensure that contribution of the Filipino remains in the global narrative.' Ivan Anthony Hernares was in Sydney for the recently concluded The ICOMOS 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium.
