ILOILO City – In a monumental milestone for regional heritage preservation, the University of the Philippines Visayas (UP Visayas), in collaboration with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Office of Sen. Loren Legarda, partner state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local government units (LGUs) of Panay and Guimaras, officially launched and distributed 100 volumes of cultural mapping inventories representing the cultural heritage of the islands under the Cultural Mapping of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental (CMPG) Project.
The official unveiling took place during a formal ceremony at the UP Visayas Auditorium in Iloilo City on June 19, 2026, marking the culmination of a regional and multi-institutional effort to safeguard Panay and Guimaras’ rich cultural fabric.
The 100-volume compendium of Panay and Guimaras, along with the recently launched 32 volumes of Negros Occidental last February 19, 2026, serves as a significant documentation of Western Visayas’ local identity. It contains cultural mapping forms on built heritage, movable heritage, natural resources, intangible cultural heritage, personages, and cultural institutions, all of which were deemed significant by the communities of the region.
The books were unveiled by leading SUC presidents such as Dr. Gabriel M. Salistre Jr. of Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U), Dr. Lilian Diana Parreño of Guimaras State University (GSU), and Dr. Godelyn G. Hisole of the University of Antique (UA), and Dr. Leo Andrew B. Biclar, vice president of Capiz State University (CAPSU). They were joined by UPV CMPG Program Manager Prof. Martin Genodepa and Overall Project Leader for Administration Anna Razel Ramirez, who steered the regional mapping operations from intensive fieldwork to publication.
Spearheaded by UP Visayas, the CMPG project directly supports the Cultural Mapping Law authored by Sen. Legarda.
In their keynote addresses, Sen. Legarda and UPV Chancellor Dr. Clement C. Camposano emphasized the critical value of the inventory in shaping local policies, boosting heritage-based tourism, and anchoring regional identity for future generations.
The event also honored the academic network and local collaborators who spent months conducting field mapping and community validations. Among the prominent SUC focal persons recognized were Dr. Eric de la Vega, Prof. Genevieve Palmares, Prof. Mary Ann dela Vega, Dr. Grace Pastolero, Prof. Nenia Buholano, and Dr. Boyet Cagasan, alongside local chief executives, tourism officers, various SUC study leaders, project and research assistants, and consultants.
To ensure broad public access alongside the physical distribution to LGUs, the project has also produced video documentaries edited and produced by Prof. Julie Prescott, filmmaker Daniel de la Cruz, and the CMPG Video Production team. The event also included the presentation of the official Cultural Mapping Website by Project Assistant Aodh Austin Joash Alegoro. Additionally, the event included a photo exhibit of selected cultural heritage assets taken by CMPG Documentation Officer Marc Leo Layson during the fieldwork phases of the project.
Overall, the publication of the books, videos, and website is a platform through which the cultural mapping data is made available to the source communities, the LGUs, academe, educators, and researchers for education programs, scholarship, and community-based cultural policies, among others.
The success of the book launching of Cultural Mapping of Panay, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental Project would not have been made possible without its project implementation team and support staff, including Research Associate Michelle Villavert, and Project Assistants Marc Leo Layson, Ma. Therese Taghap, Chrystal Zaki, Dennis Daniel, Jr., Andrea Rocelle Balingit, Choncey Talledo, and Aodh Austin Joash Alegoro. The CMPG Project also extends its appreciation to its support staff present during the event: Maureen Kay Ongo, Almera Facto, Teresita Quezon, Winona Ober, Grace Cañon, Nelce Taleon, Marites Yu, Ma. Mitzi Calawigan, Wilfredo Palete, and Alven Polido.
UPV-CMPG study leader and consultants also joined the event. Among them were Prof. Rene Trance, Prof. Marie Frances Nievales, Prof. Mary Rose Rebueno, Dr. Aurora Fe Bautista, Dr. Randy Madrid, Dr. Mary Hazel Vivien Pineda, Arch. Regina Falconite, Mr. Gilbert Marin, Mr. Theodore Bautista, and Mr. Carlson Alelis./PN
