Identification and Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Tabaco City, Philippines, through Cultural Mapping

Abstract

Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH) includes identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, and transmission through formal and non-formal education. This paper identified the conditions and status of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Tabaco City, Philippines, identified the threats to the preservation of ICH, and determined the measures taken to safeguard the ICH. It utilized purposive sampling and adopted the Cultural Mapping of the NCCA in the documentation and identification of ICH in Tabaco City that employed ethnography through community immersion and non-participant observation applying the Filipino psychology, focused group discussion, and unstructured interviews in data collection. Findings revealed that ICH in Tabaco City is under threat due to many ICH practitioners' death and old age, a rising lack of interest in ICH among the youth, and the influences of foreign culture. However, measures were put in place to safeguard ICH. The living practitioners of ICH in Tabaco City pass on their knowledge and traditional skills to the next generations by sustaining traditional blacksmithing, pedicab making, folk medicine, and native cuisines. Furthermore, ICH is promoted by generating awareness through various tourism activities. This paper also recommends the establishment of a school for living tradition that may teach the younger generations of the ICH in Tabaco City. Likewise, mainstreaming indigenous knowledge into the curriculum must be done so that the younger generations can derive valuable lessons from studying ICH. Lastly, the local government must adopt policies through local legislation to ensure the preservation, promotion, and protection of ICH and their living human treasures.