In celebration of Heritage Month, the 2nd National Summit of Church Archives and Heritage Workers was held on May 20 to 22, 2025, at the Auditorium and Pre-function area of the Frassati Building, University of Santo Tomas, Manila.
Titled “Vulnerabilities of Ecclesiastical Archives and Cultural Heritage to Biodeterioration, Climate Change, and Political Conflict”, the three-day seminar-workshop underscored the impact of climate change on heritage and archival collections and explored methods for preserving cultural sites and collections relevant to climate change. This summit was held through the collaboration of the Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas (AUST), National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCAA) – National Committee on Archives, the Society of Ecclesiastical Archivists of the Philippines (SEAP), and the Dominican Province of the Philippines Cultural Heritage Committee.
The Euroasia Pharmaceuticals Corporation Chairman and CEO, Dr. Eugenio Michael Plana, delivered the keynote address, while the UST Rector, Rev. Fr. Richard G. Ang, O.P., welcomed the participants through a video message. The definition and statement of purpose were presented by the UST Secretary-General Rev. Fr. Louie R. Coronel, O.P., EHL.
The first lecture was on “Safeguarding Sacred Stories: Overview of the Church Archives and Cultural Heritage” by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Secretary-General, Msgr. Bernardo Pantin, JCD, followed by “Laudato Si’: The Church’s Historical Role and Responsibility in Addressing Climate Change”, which was presented by the UST SIMBAHAYAN Community Development Office Director, Asst. Prof. Froilan Alipao.
AUST Acting Archivist Rev. Fr. Gaspar Sigaya, O.P., discussed “Archives at Risk: Political Conflict and Its Consequences for Cultural Heritage – The 1954 Hague Convention” while “Cybersecurity on Ecclesiastical Archives and Heritage Libraries: Cyber Incident Response Plan” was tackled by Mr. Jayson Cruz from the College of Information and Computing Sciences of UST.
The final talk for Day 1 was “Case Study on Emergency Response of the Parishes on Tropical Storm Kristine: The Camarines Sur Experience” by the Director of the Archdiocesan Archives of Caceres, Fr. Francis Tordilla, prior to a Eucharistic Celebration and a welcome dinner.
For Day 2, a lecture by Prof. Karen S. Santiago, Ph.D., Associate Director of the UST Office for International Relations and Programs, and a Faculty member from the Department of Chemistry on “Degradation Factors and Reactions: Understanding the Impact on Historical Artifacts and Manuscripts” began the day’s proceedings. Following her talk, Ms. Lulu J. Del Mar, Records Specialist from Okada Manila, facilitated two workshops, “The Art and Science of Paper Conservation: A Workshop for Beginners” and “From Fragile to Fresh: The Art of Paper Restoration”.
In the afternoon, Ms. Jackylyn Delgado of the National Committee on Archives presented a “Case Study: ‘Fire hits National Archives Building. No important documents were damaged.’ Reflect and Evaluate the NAP’s Best Practices!”
Day 2 concluded with Assoc. Prof. Maria Bernardita Reyes, Chemist Conservator of Paintings, Paper, and Stone-built Heritage from the University of Santo Tomas, facilitating two workshops on “Disinfection and Disinfestation of Paintings” and “Protecting Historic Stone Objects from Microorganisms, Plants, and other Vegetation”.
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Chairman, Prof. Regalado Trota Jose began Day 3 with his lecture on “Three Bibliographic Aids for Navigating Philippine Colonial Church Records”, followed by the Former Head of the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA, who discussed “Sacred Spaces: Mapping the Cultural Heritage of the Diocese”.
CBCP Episcopal Commission on the Cultural Heritage of the Church (EPCCHC) Executive Secretary Fr. Milan Ted Torralba shared insights on the “Transformative Power of Preserving the Archives and Cultural Heritage of the Church,” after which Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, Director of the National Archives of the Philippines, shared an Inspirational Talk on “Reading Boljoon: From Records to Retablo.
The three-day seminar ended with the highlight of launching “eTabularium: Bridging History and Technology: The Digital Parish Records Initiative”, led by Msgr. Pantin, Prof. José, Fr. Sigaya, and FamilySearch Field Relations Manager, Mr. Felvir Ordinario.
For 2025, the National Heritage Month had the theme “Preserving Legacies, Building Futures: Empowering Communities through Heritage. “