Cultural Mapping of Natural Heritages in the First and Second Congressional Districts in Iloilo Province West Central Philippines

Abstract. Heritage inventory has been an essential tool in gathering, analyzing, and generalizing information on the cultural properties of a place. The Cultural Mapping of Panay and Guimaras (CMPG) in the Philippines aims to inventory, map, document, validate, and store the information in digital forms on the natural heritage, tangible and intangible cultural assets of the region. This paper focuses on the natural heritage domain of the project that covers only the first and second congressional districts in the province of Iloilo.The methods used in gathering information are the participatory research design with the use of standard mapping form, interview, focus group discussion, and archival search.The results of the study covered 216 natural heritage maps which were categorized under the flora and fauna, land formation, and water bodies. The maps highlight the iconic flora associated with the town’s names, significance of the plants in agriculture, ecology, and societal needs. Some iconic faunas are embedded in the town’s place names, livelihood contribution, festivals, fish and avian diversity, and animal’s role in maintaining ecological balance. Land formation highlights the hills and mountains of the districts that reflect its rugged mountainous terrains and slopes. Water bodies include marine sanctuaries, rivers, creeks, and tributaries, waterfalls, lakes and ponds, with associated springs and wells. Cultural mapping is a tool to gather information, conserve and protect existing natural or environmental assets, and promote its significance in various facets of human endeavors. However, there are significant challenges and opportunities in the conduct of cultural mapping in the region. Challenges include lack of Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) on the participation of the Local Government Units (LGUs), and difficulty in obtaining permits to conduct research from the office that oversees the Indigenous Peoples (IPs). Opportunities on the other hand, include the presence of cultural experts and researchers in the region, the vast arrays of cultural and natural assets that need to be inventoried and the proliferation of cultural mapping project to other regions of the country. The adoption and implementation of the Cultural Mapping Law can truly be achieved when the culture maps of the different regions will be considered as shared heritage, draws out our identity as a people, and becomes the source of our national pride as Filipinos.