KIANGAN, Ifugao – The National Museum of the Philippines-Cordillera in Kiangan, Ifugao received an international award in the search for individuals and organizations that practice effective models for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
The NMP-Cordillera is one of the three awardees of the Jeonju International Awards for Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage (JIAPICH) organized by the Center for Intangible Cultural Studies (CICS) of South Korea.
The other awardees are Serfenta Association, a Polish-accredited Unesco non-government organization; and Anka Raic, an expert on socio-cultural practices from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe.
NMP-Cordillera Supervising Administrative Officer Eulalie Dulnuan and Information Officer Leticia Lagayan received the museum’s award during the recent 2022 JIAPICH awarding ceremonies held at the National Intangible Heritage Center in Jeonju City, South Korea.
“Getting this prestigious award is an impetus to do more in the area of intangible heritage. It is in the mandate of the National Museum of the Philippines to ensure that the museums are educational centers, research centers, and cultural centers,” Dulnuan said.
The entry of the NMP-Cordillera highlights the museum activities such as the Handi Tours in 2020, video-documentary production in 2021, lecture demonstrations on textile weaving and basketry, rice wine brewing and yeast making, and writing of feature articles on social media that are geared towards intangible cultural heritage preservation.
Dulnuan said in preparing for the award, Lagayan wrote a comprehensive paper on the activities of the museum.
As part of the requirements for entries, they got a letter of recommendation from local heritage advocate Marlon Martin.
The JIAPICH Awards is an international event that encourages individuals, groups, and communities to strive for the best safeguarding practices for cultural heritage transmission. – Florida B. Robles
