Kalinga's Cultural Gems Shine: NCCA recognizes Old Canao Bridge and 5 historic sites

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The protection and preservation of six cultural properties in Kalinga are now assured with their registration with the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP), also known as the ‘Talapamana Ng Pilipinas.’

The announcement of their recognition of the repository of information on cultural properties of the country managed by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) was made by Provincial Tourism Officer Lorraine Ngao-i during the first semester meeting of the Kalinga Culture and the Arts on Thursday, May 16.

Said cultural properties include the Banao Protected Landscapes in Balbalan, the Rizal Archaeological Reservation in Rizal, the Bantayog Wika found at the Kalinga State University-Bulanao Campus Compound, the Old Canao Bridge in Calanan, Tabuk City, White Carabao in Bulanao, and the Saint Peter’s Parish Church Bells in Lubuagan.

Two more cultural properties will be submitted anew for approval to the registry system – the Chong-ak or unoy rice and Lubuagan town.

According to Ngao-i, Unoy rice is now considered endangered, so it is timely for its placement in the system for its preservation.

Lubuagan, meantime, is the third capital of the Philippines after it became the seat of government during former President Emilio Aguinaldo’s reign, hence its worthiness to be included in the PRECUP.

As mentioned under Article II of Republic Act No. 10066, ‘Cultural Property’ refers to all products of human creativity by which a people and a nation reveal their identity, including architecture and sites or human activity.

These include churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites, whether public or privately owned, movable or immovable, and tangible or intangible.