Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An & My Son

It was my sixth time (technically seventh if you count immigration stamps) to visit Vietnam. And finally, I had the chance to fly over to Hanoi from Ho Chi Minh City. Too bad there are no direct flights from the Philippines. I also got to return to Hue and Hoi An and visited Ha Long Bay and My Son for the first time. I actually coined my own term and refer to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Hoi An and Ha Long Bay as the 5Hs of Vietnam, the five must-visit places when planing a trip there. So before I forget again, here are photos from the trip which are now in the Ivan About Town FB page.

June 23-25 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
June 25-27 - Hanoi, Vietnam
June 27 - Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
June 28 - My Son and Hoi An, Vietnam
June 29 - Hue, Vietnam

South Korea: Seoul, Gyeongju, Yandong Village, Hahoe Village & Suwon

In September 2010, I visited several cities in South Korea by train from Seoul including Gyeongju, Yandong Village (also in Gyeongju), Hahoe Village (Andong) and Suwon. Again, it's been quite a while and I haven't had time to write about the trip. So in the meantime, here are photos from the trip which are now in the Ivan About Town FB page.

September 21-22 - Seoul, South Korea
September 23-24 - Gyeongju, South Korea
September 24 - Hahoe Village, South Korea
September 24-25 - Suwon, South Korea
September 26 - Seoul, South Korea

Japan: Hiroshima, Miyajima, Himeji, Nikko, Takayama, Shirakawa-go & Osaka

After five days in Hiroshima to attend the UNITAR Series on the Management & Conservation of World Heritage Sites 2011 (where I celebrated my birthday) and another five days exploring Miyajima, Himeji, Nikko, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Osaka, I'm finally back in Manila. Here are photos from the trip which are now in the Ivan About Town FB page. I'll also try to upload photos of a 2008 trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Nagoya which are currently in my Multiply.

July 4-8 - Hiroshima, Japan
July 7 - Miyajima, Japan
July 8 - Himeji, Japan
July 9-10 - Nikko, Japan
July 10 - Takayama, Japan
July 11 - Shirakawa-go, Japan
July 12 - Osaka, Japan

Nominating properties to the UNESCO World Heritage List / UNITAR Series on the Management & Conservation of World Heritage Sites 2011

The Philippines is a country rich in cultural and natural heritage. But unfortunately, it has not had any site inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. There are several factors behind this including (1) the lack of awareness about UNESCO World Heritage among local stakeholders, especially the indigenous communities, local governments and residents that live around these potential sites, (2) the absence of competent people who are fully aware of the processes involved in preparing and providing the correct documents for nomination as World Heritage; and (3) the lack of government funding to prepare and support these nominations, among many others.

It was thus timely that the theme for the UNITAR Series on the Management and Conservation of World Heritage Sites this year was Preparing World Heritage Nominations: Continuity and Change within UNESCO's New Manual. In previous workshops, the focus was on management and conservation. I sent in my applcation and was lucky to be among the 26 selected from over a hundred applications from around the world. Two other Filipinos were with me this year: Dr. Florentino Hornedo, the new lead consultant for the Batanes nomination, and Erwin Sebastian of the National Museum.

There was a heavy emphasis on Comparative Analysis which is the key element in nominations. And ironically, it's one which many take for granted. The UNITAR training was definitely an eye opener on the UNESCO nomination process. It's now evident why we haven't had any Philippine nomination succeed in over a decade!

One thing I learned is describing your property as "unique" is the worst argument one could give for UNESCO nomination. In reality, all sites are not unique and there are always similar properties it can be compared with. Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) based on at least one of the ten criteria has to be clearly established.

Comparative Analysis is one of the most vital parts of the UNESCO nomination. In fact, it may be the most important. This is where many nominations fail. Extensive comparison with other similar properties is vital to prove OUV and push nomination forward.

Most nominations also fail to draw conclusions. Why is it of OUV? Why is it the most representative of a particular category? Why should it go on the UNESCO World Heritage List? Nominations require deep analysis to succeed, not just a mere description of the site. You have to give clear answers to the whys.

That being said, Dr. Hornedo mentioned to me at the training that Batanes might have to wait until 2013. The whole nomination dossier has to be rewritten because the previous one did not hit the mark. After hearing some points from the previous nomination papers and after five days of training on the UNESCO nomination process, I tend to agree. Patience is a virtue. You have to make sure you get it right before submitting. Those writing the dossier simply don't know what the committee is looking for. Again, the key is on Comparative Analysis since it is this section which will prove OUV.

The problem is, even without the inscription, Batanes is already facing conservation issues which have to be addressed if it is to get inscribed. A management plan is vital for inscription in the list.

Over a year ago, I raised the alarm bells after visiting the village of Savidug in Sabtang. Several concrete houses were being constructed at the same time, damaging the architectural integrity of the village. In fact, the issue was raised in the PDI.

Several politicians retorted, "What right have you in Manila to tell us how to build our houses in Batanes?" They do have a point. But as Dr. Hornedo pointed out, it's the same politicians who modernize their houses who are also earning from tourism!

The reply to these arrogant politicians is, "What right have you to earn from tourist arrivals when you are the ones who destroy the very attraction people come to visit?" As Dr. Hornedo puts it, it's double persecution. It's the less-privileged Ivatans who do not have the money to modernize or build concrete houses. And yet their stone houses are the attraction. Isn't it ironic that they do not earn at all from tourism!

And here are the politicians, who build houses made of hollow blocks, they are the ones who make money from tourism. And yet they destroy their own stone houses. Now who would fly all the way to Batanes and take the falowa all the way to Sabtang just to see hollow block houses?

People who earn from tourism in Batanes, especially these local politicians, are the ones who benefit most from visitors who travel to Sabtang to see the stone houses. And here they are arguing for the right to build modern houses! These politicians better wake up and preserve those traditional Ivatan villages before it's too late.

There's nothing bad about building new houses. But there should be strict style guidelines on how they should be built. And French windows definitely don't fit in! During my recent visit to the village of Shirakawa-go, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you could see how modern houses blend well with the traditional. Batanes should start implementing strict style rules for new constructions.

Anyway, we plan to organize similar workshops in the Philippines for local communities with sites in the Tentative List. I look forward to assisting localities in getting inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List. It's about time we get things right and get things done!

How to nominate a property to the UNESCO World Heritage List
Nominating cultural and natural sites to the UNESCO World Heritage List is no easy task. It takes many years, at times over a decade, to get a property inscribed. There are times that after all the hard work, the property gets rejected. Which is why it is important to understand the nomination process and what the World Heritage Committee and evaluators from ICOMOS and IUCN are looking for. If you are from a community with a property on the Tentative List, here are some documents to help you understand the process. If you are really serious, you will have to go through these documents of over a hundred pages each. It's a lot of reading, but definitely necessary.

Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention
Preparing World Heritage Nominations Resource Manual
The World Heritage List: Filling the gaps
The World Heritage List: Filling the gaps (Annexes)

Guam: Agat Mango Festival, Santa Rita Fiesta & more Guam events

As part of the Maila Ta Fan Boka Festival tour, we were introduced to festivals and fiestas in Guam. Fiestas are a result of the Spanish influence in Guam. We got to join the revelry at the Agat Mango Festival and the Santa Rita Fiesta.




At the Agat Mango Festival, we saw some really interesting exhibits of mango varieties. How I wish I could try them out. But they were only for display. But you could see that there are so many varieties of mangoes.


There was one table which featured six ways of enjoying your mangoes. We all know the mangga't bagoong from the Philippines. But they also suggested to pair mangoes with Tabasco (U.S.), soy sauce (Japan), li hing powder (Hawaii), rock salt (Marianas Islands) and kimchi (South Korea). In Mexico, I got to try mangoes with chili powder. Fruits are actually eaten with chili powder in Mexico. Any peculiar mango dips you might have in mind?



The also had contests for the Most Beautiful Mango, Biggest Mango and Most Bizarre Mango. Of course, like in any festival, we had a sumptuous lunch.


During our last day, we dropped by the Santa Rita Fiesta. Aside from the usual cultural performances, the highlight of the day was lunch at the mayor's house. Now that was indeed a feast!


Fiestas in Guam would not be complete without hotnon babui! You guessed it, lechon!





Fiestas would also not be complete without the different kinds of kelaguen made from fish, chicken an beef.




There was just so much food! I let the photos tell the story of how much we had. And that's just half of the dishes they served us.

Guam Fiesta Schedule
Here is a list of fiestas and festivals in Guam. Unlike the Philippines where most fiestas are fixed even if it falls on a weekday, Guam's fiestas are moved to the nearest weekend closest to the feast date of the saint. So the dates below reflect those for 2011. Check with the Guam Visitors Bureau for the dates next year.

January
Tumon: Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores (January 15)
Chalan Pago: Nuestra Señora de la Paz Buen Viaje (January 22)
Mongmong: Nuestra Señora de las Aguas (January 29)
Gupot Fanha'aniyan Pulan Chamoru (Chamorro Lunar Calendar Festival)

February
Maina: Our Lady of Purification (February 5)
Yigo: Our Lady of Lourdes (February 12)
Fiestan Dinana' Minagof (Chamorro Dance Festival)

March
Inarajan: St. Joseph, husband of Mary (March 19)

April
Barrigada: San Vicente Ferrer (April 9)
Agafa Gumas, Yigo: Santa Bernadita (April 18)
Talofofo Banana Festival at Ipan Beach Park in Talofofo
Inarajan: St. Joseph the Worker (April 30)
Fin'nana na Ferian Fina'Hechuran Unai (Annual Sand Sculpture Festival), Matapang Beach, Tumon

May
Merizo: San Dimas (May 7)
Malojloj: San Isidro (May 14)
Agat Mango Festival at Agat Sagan Bisita

June
Tamuning: St. Anthony (June 18)
Ordot: San Juan Bautista (June 25)

July
Chalan Pago: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (July 1)
Toto: Immaculate Heart of Mary (July 2)
Agat: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16)
Agat: Santa Ana (July 30)

August
Tamuning: St. Victor (August 6)
Piti: Assumption of Our Lady ((August 13)
Annual Gupot Y Peskadot (Fisherman's Festival) at Guam Fishermen's Cooperative in Hagatna
Barrigada: San Roque (August 20)
Agat: Santa Rosa (August 27)

September
Cañada, Barrigada: San Ramon (September 3)
Hagåtña: Dulce Nombre de Maria (September 10)
Talofofo: San Miguel (September 17)
Dededo: St. Andrew Kim (September 18)
Annual Mangilao Donne' Festival in Mangilao
Mangilao: Santa Teresita (September 24)

October
Yona: St. Francis of Assisi (October 1)
Umatac: San Dionisio (October 8)
Guam Micronesian Island Fair
Sinajana: St. Jude (October 29)

December
Dededo: Santa Barbara (December 3)
Hagåtña: Immaculate Conception/Santa Marian Kamalen (December 8)
Santa Rita: Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 10)
Asan: Nino Perdido y Sagrada Familia (December 31)

Note: This familiarization tour of Guam, USA was organized by the Guam Visitors Bureau in cooperation with Continental Airlines. Continental Airlines flies from Manila to Guam and vice versa everyday.