Orientation-Workshop on the Philippine Registry of Heritage and the Development of Local Cultural Inventories using the Registry Forms for the Province of Eastern Samar
BORONGAN CITY—The Philippine Registry of Heritage (PRH), with the support of the Provincial Tourism Office of Eastern Samar, conducted a two-day orientation-workshop at the OId Provincial Capitol of Eastern Samar in Borongan City from 4-5 June 2025. The event was attended by Tourism Officers, Cultural Heritage Officers, and Municipal Local Government Operation Officers from various municipalities across Eastern Samar.
The first day of the event was focused on familiarizing the participants with RA 11961, the PRH office, and the concepts surrounding cultural properties. The participants expressed particular interest in the various domains of cultural properties, the inclusion of private properties in their local inventories, among others. Local issues such as the ownership and management of the historic Balangiga bells, registration of privately-owned properties, and ongoing issues on mining in protected areas were also brought up during these discussions.
On the second day of the event, the PRH team prepared two basic documentation group activities and a workshop on the Registry Forms. Despite the limited time, the groups presented detailed and well-researched outputs showcasing the skills they learned throughout the two-day event. Several teams extensively used the Object ID checklist, Google Maps, and Hazard Hunter which were all discussed in the presentations.
Looking at the main topics of interest, it is clear that the participants placed great importance in protecting and preserving their cultural heritage. The participants were also very eager to document their properties and were only lacking the proper information and skills to do so. Overall, the orientation-workshop was able to address the participants’ concerns and arm them with relevant skills and tools to preserve and protect their cultural properties.
