Rambling in Romblon

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THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts opened heritage month in Romblon last May 2012. Unlike other specially declared months, the NCCA ere made the opening celebratory and then began one year’s work documenting Romblon’s cultural heritage and assisting in the recognition of their sites.

Less than a year later, the Church of Romblon has been recognized as a national cultural treasure and the old municipal building, currently in use as a police station, the fort of San Andres, as Important Cultural Property.

Losing

The nuns sadly told PSSST! CENTRO that the Atis of Boracay had lost their lore. They do not remember their traditions, their art, their songs. The difficulty of surviving the daily grind has bleached it out of them. And the constant battle for their own small place in the land that once belonged to them, has suspended their lives.

The Power of Tradition

Pssst! Centro spoke with Dayang Celia H. Kiram, wife of Sultan Jamalul Kiram. In the course of conversation about the roots of the conflict in Mindanao, Dayang Celia sadly noted, that if the government merely recognized the sultanate and its structure and traditions, it would be a great help to bringing peace in Mindanao.

Death of a Mockingbird

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it.”

“Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy… but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.”
– Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Note to journalists

Monitoring news on both broadsheet and online sources requires us to take note of the subtleties of editorializing news content. However, there are some media practices that are downright reckless.
We speak specifically of the tendency to report on news while inadvertently affecting international policy. During the crisis on the West Philippine Sea, for instance, many reporters kept referring to it as the South China Sea, whereas our maps have mostly referred to it as the Philippine Sea. Under international law, even columns and news reports can be used as evidence of practice and thus could be taken against our claim on the area.

The King is Dead

(photo credit: inquirer.net)

Lolong, the world’s largest crocodile died due to pneumonia brought about by the stress of captivity.

We are then reminded of the issues surrounding Mali, the 36 year old elephant in Manila Zoo who gained world wide attention when British rocker Morissey wrote the Philippine government to ask that the pachyderm be moved to a US sanctuary for aging animals.

Trixie Cruz-Angeles: Saving World Heritage

The Philippines is signatory to the World Heritage Convention, as is the United States. The Philippines signed in 1985, the US in 1973 – one of the few conventions that nation has entered into.

Art. 6 of that convention, states: