The UST Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (CCCPET) conducted a row of cultural projects with various LGUs in the second quarter of this year.
The Samar Festival Management Workshop
On May 20, 2024, the center facilitated the unique and highly anticipated “Pamamahala ng Pistang Pamana: Festival Management Workshop for Samar Province”. The workshop, with the primary objectives of promoting culture and research-based festivals and sharing successful festival management strategies, is an exclusive platform that offers the rare opportunity to share examples of successful festival management strategies, case studies, and valuable lessons from academic and industry experts.
A variety of lectures, case studies, and workshops—ranging from scriptwriting, festival planning, scenography, choreography, and other aspects of event management—were tackled during the week-long workshop which was held at Catbalogan City in Samar Province.
It opened with a plenary lecture on Festivals in the Philippines delivered by Hon. Eric Zerrudo, Ph.D., the newly appointed Executive Director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the former director of CCCPET. The week-long event also featured Thomasian speakers including Prof. Melanie D. Turingan, PhD, Dean of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters and Prof. Joan Christi Bagaipo, an academic staff of the UST Institute of Religion.
The festival management workshop recognized the challenges in conducting festivals in the Philippines, which have sometimes become overly commercialized, misappropriated, and misrepresented. Such an event is a reflection of CCCPET’s strong advocacy for culture and research-based festivals, offering an inspiring vision for the future of cultural celebrations.
The Betis Conservation Management Plan
In collaboration with the different colleges in the University, the conservation management plan of Betis Church, which began on June 22, 2024, continued with another site visit on August 10, 2024. Ms. Beverly M. Bautista, Officer-in-Charge of the Center, led the team from UST College of Architecture, UST Faculty of Engineering, UST Faculty of Arts and Letters, UST College of Tourism and Hospitality Management, UST College of Science, and UST Graduate School Cultural Heritage Studies for an on-site data gathering and assessment of Betis Church.
The Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is a structured document that outlines strategies and guidelines for the preservation, maintenance, and sustainable management of historic buildings, structures, and sites.
The Betis Church CMP Team is a powerhouse of specialists from different disciplines in the University. Together they bring their unique expertise to complete the historical narrative, social analysis, architectural analysis, site development plan, structural analysis, and wood and paint analysis of the Church. Their collective knowledge and skills ensure a comprehensive and successful project.
The CCCPET still has several projects lined-up for this academic year, proving the importance of the preservation, conservation, and development of cultural heritage.
