Security Bank Corp., in partnership with the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. (FHFI), celebrates the National Heritage Month with the theme “Victory and Humanity: Upholding Filipino Heritage and Identity.”
This year’s theme commemorates the 500th anniversary of two important events in Philippine history: the victory at Mactan and the first circumnavigation of the world. The celebration highlights the bravery of Filipinos in their quest for freedom, and their humanity towards others.
“Cultural heritage is steeped in a country’s history and identity. By celebrating National Heritage Month, Filipinos can uphold and promote its rich culture, especially to the younger generation,” said Security Bank President and CEO Sanjiv Vohra. “By remembering milestones in Philippine history and encouraging the youth to participate in cultural activities, we hope that more Filipinos have a newfound appreciation of their roots and take pride in their identity.”
Philippine indigenous boats: remembering a piece of navigation history
As an archipelago, cultural identity in the Philippines is intimately linked to the sea and seafaring. Filipinos’ mastery in boatbuilding and navigation was acknowledged by Spanish colonizers and documented in numerous texts and reports throughout history.
In celebration of this year’s NHM and in line with the National Quincentennial Commemorations, the Philippine Postal Corp. with FHFI recently released stamps and souvenir sheets featuring various Philippine indigenous boats.
The visual documentation of these indigenous boats is a fitting and unique homage to the commemoration of a historic event in world navigation.
Creating awareness on cultural heritage
This year’s national heritage festival boasts of online competitions, virtual presentations, webinars and performances to be hosted by various institutions. For its part, Security Bank is co-sponsoring a Youth Essay-Writing Contest and co-sponsoring an online trivia game that will run until May 31.
“As leaders and role models, we all must strive to utilize every opportunity available to us to reinforce the values and beliefs that we hold dear. Traditions are important for they remind us that we are part of a history that defines our past, and shapes who we are today. We hope that the lineup of Filipino Heritage Festival online activities prepared this May inspire us all to give more value to our culture and to have a great sense of pride for being a Filipino especially in this time of pandemic,” says Armita Rufino, president of the Filipino Heritage Festival.
The Intramuros Administration hosted a webinar on May 13 entitled “Catholic Devotions as the Church’s Intangible Heritage.” The speaker was Father Milan Ted Torralba, chair of the Diocese of Tagbilaran Commission for the Cultural Heritage of the Church.
Filipino composer Julio Nakpil’s works were featured in “Artist as Hero,” a special online concert presented on FHFI’s Facebook page on May 22. A virtual dance concert entitled “Of Balanghai and Galleons: Journey Towards Nationhood” by Floy Quintos was presented on May 28 via YouTube and FHFI’s Facebook page. It will also be presented on June 26 at the SM Cinema Drive-In, SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds Block 16.
A virtual tour presented by the Ayala Museum on their YouTube channel is available to the public until Aug. 31, 2021. To know more about the National Heritage Month and Security Bank’s initiatives on education, you may visit www.facebook.com/Securitybank or www.securitybank.com/sustainability.