TAO-Pilipinasyoungprofessionalsprogram ee--nneewwsslleetttteerr APRIL – MAY 2013 ACCA Navotas youth group in R. Domingo, Tangos set‐up areas for seedling propagation to grow container gardens within the community vacant spaces. In this issue: Dialogue on historic preservation Community container gardens PDA project in Pulo Second Regional CAN Meeting HDM- Lund Course Field Study OIO www.ypws.tao‐pilipinas.org Workshop us.” come to to especially the poor, the people, ask Network Activities: TAO introduces Historic Preservation PMPI E-Scrap Recycling Campaign to network partners SHFC Loan Documentation Workshop PHILSSA Orientation on People’s Planning TAO-PILIPINAS INTRODUCED HISTORIC PRESERVATION TO ITS NETWORK PARTNERS through a workshop held on March 5, 2013 at the Mapua Institute of Technology in Intramuros. Dubbed as a “Dialogue on Historic Preservation”, YP Reading List: the workshop was organized in collaboration with Bakás Pilipinas, a non-profit Lepik’s Small Scale Big Change organization based in the US that promotes the preservation of historic Well’s Lives of The Trees architecture and sites in the Philippines. The Mapua School of Architecture, Industrial Design and the Built Environment co-sponsored the workshop. than rather to the people go us to for is time “It Pls. turn to page 2. ACCA-Navotas youth groups to revive community container gardens This is a very economical way to“ upgrade, increase community resilience and work to reduce poverty. It’s TAO‐PILIPINAS RECENTLY ORGANIZED AN URBAN CONTAINER GARDENING far more economical than traditional methods Workshop for the youth leaders of the Asian Coalition for Community of trying to formalize the informal. Formali- Action (ACCA) Navotas Network. The activity was a continuation of the zation methods are not working; we need to community‐based solid waste management (CBSWM) project of TAO‐ change the way the establishment thinks. But Pilipinas with Give2Asia and Starbucks Philippines that was started in 2011. how do we do that? The CBSWM project involved initiating community composting centers ‐ DILG Undersecretary Francisco Pls. turn to page 3. FernandezTAO, during‐YPP theE‐ newsletterPulo project” April ‐ presentationMay 2013 at ADB / 1 TAO introduces historic preservation... (From page 1) Network partners Preservation projects Sebastian project, she showed the Attended by close to 60 participants, the Roz Li led the team in presenting the deterioration and damage from severe workshop was carried out to respond to the different aspects of historic preservation. She corrosion and water leaks. She presented the results of a survey on heritage conservation discussed the significance of historic historical research, photo-documentation and that TAO-Pilipinas conducted among its NGO preservation, the criteria for determining laser scanning of the whole structure that have network partners last December. In that historic structures and sites, and the scale of been done as part of the diagnostic survey as survey, several of its network partners intervention. She explained the different types she stressed that “the treatment or repair will expressed a need to learn more about heritage of intervention from the no-intervention only be good as its diagnosis”. conservation as it relates to community approach to reconstruction and replication. development and urban poor issues. Among She gave examples of historic preservation Intangible heritage those who attended the workshop were projects to highlight these various Anthropologist Pascale Montadert talked representatives of Community Organizers interventions. She stressed the need to about the preservation of intangible cultural Multiversity (COM); Philippine Partnership establish the preservation philosophy of a heritage or ICH. She explained the areas for Support Service Agencies (PHILSSA); project to determine the appropriate type of covered by ICH (oral traditions, performing Foundation for the Development of the Urban intervention to be done. arts, traditional crafts, social rituals, festive Poor (FDUP); Urban Poor Associates (UPA); events, etc.) and the challenges to its and Socio-Pastoral Institute (SPI). Participants Many of the projects she presented were preservation. She stressed that communities from the academe likewise attended, those undertaken by her firm, including themselves must recognize their intangible representing PUP College of Architecture and landmark preservation projects in the New cultural heritage and should decide for Fine Arts; UP College of Architecture; UST York City metropolitan area that have themselves what is their heritage. Further College of Architecture; and the UP received preservation awards. One of the most highlighting the challenges to preserving Archaeological Studies Program. interesting projects that she featured was the indigenous culture, photographer Trix Rosen Tenement Museum in New York, a tenement showed a photo-essay of her journeys to Program and speakers building which housed immigrant families in Kalinga, Cordillera region in the 1980s and in TAO-Pilipinas tapped Bakás Pilipinas as the 1860s-1930s that has been restored as a the 2000s. Rosen’s series of photographs of resource person. The survey results were historical landmark. The building reflects the Kalinga tribal landscapes, peoples, and shared with them and they designed a day- early 20th century living conditions and is vernacular architecture documented the long program with topics covering the various considered as a three-dimensional museum of changes that have taken place in the villages learning needs identified in the survey. The housing laws development in New York City. she visited in between a 20-year period. Ms. program was divided into five major topics: Rosen also gave tips to participants on the Introduction to Historic Preservation; Ms. Li highlighted historic preservation as an photographic documentation of historic sites Preservation of Architectural Heritage; interdisciplinary field, entailing the and buildings, showing how photos can Preservation of Intangible Heritage; Urban involvement of historians, architects, capture the character-defining features of a Heritage Conservation; and Disaster Relief for archaeologists, conservators/conservation place. Heritage Properties. scientists and anthropologists. These diverse expertises are needed throughout the Presenters consisted of the Bakás Pilipinas preservation process, especially in the steps team, namely Roz Li, retired former Principal prior to the restoration of a historic building or of Li/Saltzman Architects; Cristina Paterno, site. Executive Director of San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Fund; Pascale Urban heritage conservation was also Montadert, Anthropologist Consultant; and discussed by Roz Li. She explained the Trix Rosen, Architectural Photographer. They various levels of landmark designation and brought to the workshop valuable knowledge highlighted the role of NGOs in community- and expertise gained from years of experience based preservation projects, giving several as historic preservationists. examples of successful urban preservation projects in the US. She likewise featured projects that addressed disaster relief for Focus group during the break-out sessions. heritage properties and the various funding strategies that can be tapped for preservation Break-out sessions projects. After the presentations by the resource persons, the participants were divided into San Sebastian Restoration focus groups to discuss the challenges related Conservator Tina Paterno presented the to preservation affecting their work. Six investigative work being done for the groups were formed and each group shared the restoration of San Sebastian Basilica which is results of their discussion to the plenary. the initial project of Bakás Pilipinas. The Among the issues that came out included the basilica, a religious and architectural elitist perception about historic preservation landmark, is an all-metal structure built in and the need to broaden the public’s 1891 and has survived 11 major earthquakes. understanding of it. Political will of govern- The resource persons from Bakás Pilipina: (L-R) Ms. Paterno identified deferred maintenance Tina Paterno, Roz Li, Trix Rosen, Pascale Montadert and inappropriate repairs as the major Pls. turn to page 5. challenges to conservation. In the San Sebastian TAO‐YPP E‐newsletter April ‐ May 2013 / 2 ACCA-Navotas youth... (From page 1) and urban gardens in the ACCA Navotas Network communities which include Masagana in Angat, Bulacan; Pulo in Tanza, Navotas; and R. Domingo and Pantalan Uno in Tangos, Navotas. The current project targets a new batch of community youth leaders to spearhead the revival of the community urban gardens and maintain plant nurseries for container gardening in the four ACCA communities. In order to prepare them for the task, a workshop on urban container gardening was conducted on March 23, 2013. People’s organization Buklod Tao was tapped as resource person to orient them on community based solid waste management (CBSWM) and share lessons and pointers from their success in doing container gardening. Buklod Tao president Manuel “Ka Noli” Abinales gave a lecture on the philosophy behind urban container gardening and community based solid waste management. The concept of 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle was introduced to the participants, as well as the impact of improper waste management on our environment. Aside from the basic concept of community-based solid