The University of the Philippines Visayas recieved the Antique Cultural Mapping Project compendium or set of books to through the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) in an intimate ceremony at the Performing Arts Hall of the UP Visayas Museum of Art and Culture Heritage held December 9, 2022.
The compendium is dubbed Dunâ, Kinaíya kag Paranúblìon: A Cultural Registry of the Province of Antique.
The Cultural Mapping of Antique was a priority legislative agenda for culture of Sen. Loren Legarda when she was Deputy Speaker and Lone District Representative of Antique. In her video message, she lauded Dept. of Education Antique, UP Visayas, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Provincial Government of Antique in joining forces to come up with a compendium that documents Antique’s rich heritage.
In his message, Chancellor Camposano cited the cultural mapping activity as a point of unity and convergence, which serves as an avenue for pertinent institutions to be more aware of their duty to promote and protect the tangible and intangible heritage of our communities.
Felisa B. Beriong, CESO VI, Schools Division Superintendent of DepEd Antique, talked about the Antique that she reminisced from her young days, its current development, and her appreciation of the hard work of the Antique teachers, stating that this accomplishment of the current time is a product of the cooperation of DepEd Antique, UPV, NCCA and the Provincial Government of Antique.
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DepEd VI Regional Office was represented by Dr. Celestino Dalumpines IV, who shared his felicitations with the team and reassured everyone of DepEd’s support for future endeavors.
Prof. Frances Anthea Redison, Director of the Center for West Visayan Studies, received the 21- volume compendium and welcomed its registry of Antique’s heritage and its significance as a research material to be shared with the rest of Western Visayas.
Joining the event were the CMA project team composed of Dr. Alicia P. Magos, Professor Emeritus; Dr. Philip Ian Padilla, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs; Prof. Christopher Honorario, Dean of the College of Management; Prof. Alfredo B. Diaz, UP High School in Iloilo Principal; Asst. Prof. Julie Prescott, former IPO Director; Ms. Gerthrode Charlotte Tan-Mabilog, current IPO Director; Atty. Nellie Regalado, UPV Legal Officer; and Joyce Christine Colon of West Visayas State University.
Profwssor Martin Genodepa, a consultant for the project for Arts and Crafts, gave the closing remarks. He gave emphasis on peoples’ ethnography in the CMA project, where people from the communities documented their heritage themselves.
Kickstarted in December 2020, the Cultural Mapping of Antique Project was a collaborative engagement with DepEd Antique headed by SDS Felisa Beriong. Together with Beriong are DepEd supervisors Eleanore M. Dagala, EPS-Araling Panlipunan; Rodrigo N. Sarapanan, EPS-Music, Arts, PE and Health (MAPEH); Anita S. Gubalane, EPS-Science; and Schubert Anthony C. Sialongo, EPS-Learning Resources Management System (LRMS); Emerose B. Balondo, DepEd Accountant; Lester Ton J. Espenocilla, DepEd Finance Staff; Ma. Christine C. Nietes, DepEd Budget Officer; and Miracle Faith C. Senario, DepEd Supply Officer.
A total of ninety teachers, who hailed from the various elementary and secondary schools of the municipalities of Antique, served as the mappers of the project. They are supported by their District Supervisors and the respective Mayors and Tourism Officers of their localities.
Ms. Anna Razel L. Ramirez of UP Visayas served as the Overall Project Coordinator. In her team are mapping experts Prof. Jose R. Taton Jr. and Mr. Sashah B. Dioso, assisted by research assistants Dimple Rios and Michelle Villavert. Dr. Magos served as chief consultant, while Mr. Ramon B. Ramirez was in-charge of field documentation with the teacher mappers.
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Also part of the UPV team is the other project consultants, including Dr. Resurreccion Sadaba, John Rey Callado, Prof. Jessie Labiste, Jr., and Dr. Randy Madrid. The UPV project support staff includes Teresita Quezon, Alven Polido, Marites Yu, Vanessa Coo, Jocelyn Genesila, Wilfredo Palete, Jr., Lea Papilota, Mary Lyncen Fernandez, Neyah Grace Cartago, and Juvy Janeo. Additionally, the CMA video team includes Gian Niño Genoveza as a video editor, Asst. Prof. Prescott, Ma. Rosalie Zerrudo, and Carlson Alelis.
The project also involved consultants on Antique local culture and history. They are Dante Beriong, Engr. Jonathan De Gracia, Samuel Rubido, Errol Santillan, Jose Edison Tondares, Fr. Cornelio Ysulat, Fr. Glicerio Geremia, Pauldenmar Lim, and Flord Calawag.
Arvin Manuel Villalon of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) spearheaded the conduct of online cultural mapping training with the UPV Team and the teacher mappers. With Villalon are the NCCA consultants Cecille Gelicame, Ricamela Pallis, Fr. Harold Rentoria, OSA, Ar. Wilfredo Sy, Jr., and Gladys Argonza.
Former Gov. Sally Perez of Antique and Ms. Sheree Mangunay took charge of the coordination work for the project on behalf of Sen. Loren B. Legarda. (UPV-IPO with Ms. Michelle L. Villavert, UPV-CMA)