UNESCO-accredited ICH facilitator Alexandra Denes gives lectures on ICH safeguarding to participants.

From Nov 9 to 13, the International Training Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (CRIHAP) and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines (NCCA) co-organized an online Training of Trainers on Safeguarding of the Viability of Intangible Cultural Heritage Amid Pandemic in the Context of Sustainable Development for the Philippines.

The 35 participants of the five-day workshop include representatives from NCCA, local governments' cultural and artistic institutions, UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, NGOs, and community representatives, as well as ICH practitioners from around the country.

UNESCO-accredited ICH facilitator Linina Phuttitarn gives lectures on ICH safeguarding to participants.

UNESCO-accredited ICH facilitators Alexandra Denes and Linina Phuttitarn were invited to give lectures, centering on two topics -- ICH in emergencies, and ICH safeguarding and sustainable development, in the context of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (the Convention). The two ICH facilitators used various teaching methods such as case studies, group discussions and group work to help the trainees better understand knowledge associated with the Convention. It turned out that the trainees were fully engaged and spoke up actively during the training. And they were highly appreciative of this opportunity to learn and to exchange with each other.

Treasuring its rich ICH resources, the Philippines has attached great importance to the collaboration with CRIHAP. "To safeguard the ICH is paramount. Because once ICH is lost, it can never be recovered. To better safeguard ICH, we need to continue to look for tools we have at our disposal and increase our skills and knowledge of the Convention," said Arsenio J. Lizaso, NCCA Chairman in a video speech delivered at the opening session of the training.

Arsenio J. Lizaso, Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines, delivers a speech for the opening of the on-line Training.

UNESCO's Jakarta Office gave strong support for the training. "ICH and sustainable development is a new trend. This kind of discussion was impossible when the Convention was still a baby," said Moe Chiba, Program Specialist and Head of the Culture Unit, UNESCO Office in Jakarta, in her speech for the opening of the training. "Thank you CRIHAP for holding this very timely, important event to reflect and discuss this topic." Chiba also shared with the trainees about cases of ICH safeguarding amid the pandemic in Indonesia, which is inspiring to the participants to formulate ICH safeguarding plans and strategies that fit with their own circumstances.

The training workshop is part of the three-year capacity-building workshops the CRIHAP has organized for the Philippines. Centering on the implementation of the Convention, CRIHAP held the first training workshop under the framework of the Convention for the Philippines last November. CRIHAP will continue to support the Philippines' capacity-building for ICH safeguarding in the coming year.

Liang Bin, Director-General of the International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO, gives a speech for the opening of the online Training.

"As a Category 2 Center in the field of intangible cultural heritage supported by UNESCO, CRIHAP is very honored to collaborate with the Philippines and make positive contributions to its ICH safeguarding efforts", said Liang Bin, the Director General of CRIHAP. Up to now, CRIHAP has organized a total of 51 ICH capacity-building workshops for the Asia-Pacific region, covering 40 countries and regions, with 1,657 direct beneficiaries.