The Pasig City local government and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Philippines signed on Tuesday, Oct. 25, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen their partnership for the city’s cultural mapping projects and programs.
The MOU was signed by Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, UNDP Philippines resident representative Selva Ramachandran, Grupo Kalinangan Inc. (GKI) President Ar. Manolo Noche, Pasig City Museum Officer-in-Charge Anna Katrinah San Mateo, and Christian Echeche from the Pasig Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office (PCATO).
Kanni Wignaraja, UNDP Assistant Secretary-General for Asia and the Pacific Region, graced the event and delivered her remarks during the MOU signing.
The MOU aims to further deepen the relations between UNDP Philippines, the local government, and other affiliated non-government organizations (NGOs) in promoting Pasig’s cultural heritage and making it more accessible to citizens.
The PCATO leads the city’s cultural mapping project in accordance with the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 or Republic Act 10066.
Last Aug. 29, the local government launched the Pasig Memorya initiative, an online crowdsourcing platform developed by the GKI, and implemented by the Pasig City Museum.
Memorya functions as an online archive of the city’s history, wherein citizens can upload old and new photos of the city and share their stories, displaying the progression of Pasig through the years.
As part of the larger cultural mapping project, Memorya attempts to create a dynamic collective history that would ingrain a stronger sense of identity for Pasigueños.
Plans for the cultural mapping project were resumed in March 2022 after they were paused in 2020 to 2021 due to the demands in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first phase of the project, which involved the completion of an initial inventory of Pasig’s“cultural properties,” and the identification of a “local cultural profile,” ended in July.
However, the local government continues to conduct negotiations and preparations such as orientations for “cultural mappers” who will be deployed to gather information and data on cultural landmarks in Pasig.
The cultural mappers are trained in data-gathering and documentation, following the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)’s guidelines.
The Pasig City Museum also hosts talks and orientations with various stakeholders such as representatives of schools, barangays, churches, and private citizens to discuss the importance of cultural and historical preservation.