Author: Kaye Sapungen

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission joined the monitoring mission to the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and World Heritage Site over the weekend. With us were Park Superintendent “Mama Ranger” Angelique Songco, Erika Korosi of Conservation International, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park & World Heritage Site Park Superintendent Beth Maclang, Palawan Fiscals Gidor Manero and Maidy…

Congratulations to the people of Bohol Province for the designation of Bohol Island Geopark as the first UNESCO Global Geopark in the Philippines! Unlike other UNESCO designations and inscription, the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network requires aspiring geoparks to already perform the functions of a geopark at least a year prior to submitting its application. To…

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission convened the Memory of the World (MOW) National Committee for its first meeting today. The MOW Committee is responsible for overseeing the nomination of documentary heritage to the MOW registers. Filmmaker Nick Deocampo was reelected Chairperson, while UP College of Music Dean Laverne de la Peña was named Vice Chairperson. Members…

UNESCO has opened its call for applications and nominations for the 2023 edition of the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes ! Every year, the prizes reward excellence and innovation in the field of literacy around the world, to promote effective and innovative practices and encourage dynamic literate societies. This year the focus is on promoting literacy…

15-24 May 2023, Paris, France — Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate of the Philippines to UNESCO H.E. Junever M. Mahilum-West delivered the Philippine statement during the Opening Plenary of the 216th session of the UNESCO Executive Board calling on the organization to re-examine its strategic direction to ensure that programmes remain faithful to its…

  Makati City – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) signs the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11904, otherwise known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA). The PCIDA, which lapsed into law on 28 July 2022, mandates the development of a vibrant Philippine creative industries by protecting and…

    At its virtual meeting on 7–9 December 2022, the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council decided to forward 11 nominations out of 15 to the Executive Board of UNESCO for endorsement as new UNESCO Global Geoparks. At the Council’s first meeting in September this year, it had forwarded a further seven nominations to the Executive…

UNESCO, through its General Conference, designates 03 November as the International Day for Biosphere Reserves (IDBR). This international day serves as a wake-up call on the importance of caring for the environment and achieving a balance between human activities and the conservation of natural resources – and on the leading role that the World Network…

“The Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, launched in 1971, is UNESCO’s oldest intergovernmental scientific programme and it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021 and 2022. The MAB Programme and the biosphere reserve model have, over the past 50 years, become an international example of sustainable territorial development and highlight UNESCO’s and the MAB’s…

  As we celebrate the first-ever International Geodiversity Day, may we be reminded of the important role of geodiversity in the concept of nature conservation. Geodiversity is the very foundation upon which biodiversity is built. It is the very rock of biodiversity. It is the foundation on which humans of different cultures interact with their…

MEXICO CITY, 01 October 2022 – Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong shared Baguio’s experience in implementing the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators Framework during the Philippine-led high-level side event of the MONDIACULT 2022 Conference in Mexico City on 29 September 2022. Baguio City is a UNESCO-designated Creative City. The Philippines, through the National Commission for Culture and the…

Watch the Session 4 of #Mondiacult2022 on Heritage and Cultural Diversity in Crisis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk1qqJ6dPYk Among the roster of esteemed speakers is Architect Michael F. Manalo, representing the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. In this session, Architect Manalo talked about the looming threats and crisis to our cultural heritage and shared a number of…

29 September 2022, Mexico City – National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Commissioner on Cultural Heritage and Head of its Sub-commission on Cultural Heritage Architect Michael F. Manalo delivered the Philippine intervention during the thematic session of the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development – MONDIACULT 2022 titled “Heritage and…

September 28 is the International Day for Universal Access to Information! Check out FOI Philippines’ initiatives in promoting and bolstering the Filipino people’s right to access public information supported by the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM). As the country progressively moves towards digitization, FOI Philippines and UNACOM go hand in hand in exploring…

International Literacy Day | 08 September 2022 Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces The Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (PH NatCom) joins the world in the celebration of 2022 International Literacy Day with the theme: Transforming Literacy Learning Spaces which provides an opportunity to rethink the fundamental importance of literacy learning spaces to build resilience and ensure…

MANILA 01 September 2022 – Member countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS) reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen regional cooperation towards clean, healthy, and sustainable oceans after a three-day workshop  from 30 August to 01 September 2022 in Manila hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Bilateral Relations and ASEAN Affairs and…

In celebration of the ongoing International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL) 2022-2032 and the Buwan ng Wikang Pambansa in August, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Public and Cultural Diplomacy (DFA-OPCD) and the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) co-organized a project entitled, “More than 100 Ways say…”: An Online Forum on the Status…

The House Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts chaired by Rep. Christopher De Venecia (4th District, Pangasinan), held its first organizational meeting on Thursday and tackled the recently enacted Republic Act 11904, or the “Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.” De Venecia said they are capitalizing on passing more legislations, and are encouraged by…

29 June 2022 – Hon. Secretary of Education Leonor Magtolis-Briones led the Philippine delegation to the Pre-Summit of the Transforming Education Summit held on 28-30 June 2022 at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. The Pre-Summit aims to harness the evolving discussions on transforming education and elaborate initial content and recommended actions for the Summit…

UNESCO, with support from Japan-Fund-In-Trust and in collaboration with Universitas Syiah Kuala (USK), Indonesia, will organize a series of activities to provide career options for students in the technology sector through digital skills training. The Mobile Application Development for Environmental Sustainability and Supporting Disaster Risk Reduction Training consists of 25 hours of intensive, hands-on, and…

PH CELEBRATES WORLD OCEANS DAY WITH SIDS       08 June 2022 – In celebration of the World Oceans Day, the Small Island States (SIDS) and the Group of Friends of SIDS in UNESCO organized a round table on “Climate Change and Resilience: Bringing Science and Technology to the Ocean in a Manner Consistent…

Message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the occasion of World Oceans Day 8 June 2022 Each year, between mid-May and early June, UNESCO celebrates three international days focused on subjects that are as vital as they are complementary. This is an opportunity to jointly consider the three systemic pillars of climate change:…

08 June is World Oceans Day! By its resolution 63/111 of 5 December 2008, the UN General Assembly designated 8 June as World Oceans Day. The concept of a World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate our world’s shared ocean and…

MOA for updating World Heritage markers in the Philippines signed 31 May 2022 – Closing the country’s commemoration of the 2022 National Heritage Month, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines have signed the Memorandum of Agreement for updating…

May is National Heritage Month! The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission joins the celebration of the 2022 National Heritage Month (NHM). With its theme: “PAMANANG LOKAL: Binhi ng Kulturang Pilipino,” this year’s NHM highlights the importance of preserving and promoting local heritage within a community and its impact on shaping the Filipino cultural identity. It calls on the public…

                 UNESCO Hands over 100 Alternative Learning System (ALS) Modules to the                           Department of Education in the Philippines April 22, 2022 marks a major milestone on the road to inclusive education for the Philippines, as 100…

UNESCO eyes partnership with PTFoMS MANILA – Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco, Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS), met with representatives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) led by Mohamed Djelid, Director and Representative of UNESCO Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, to discuss possible cooperation on capacity building projects…

MARCH 21 IS WORLD POETRY DAY! UNESCO declared March 21 of every year as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999. This is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increase the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard. With this, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and…

PARIS, 25 November 2021 – Following its re-election to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Executive Board, the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to harness the power of culture as a tool for prosperity and sustainability in the Philippines. Permanent Delegate to UNESCO and Ambassador to France Junever Mahilum-West, Head of the Philippine…

On 17 November 2021, the Philippines was re-elected as member of the UNESCO Executive Board. The Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of UNESCO (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference. Acting under the authority of the General Conference, the Board examines…

Registration open In the wake of the worldwide pandemic caused by the COVID-19, UNESCO conducted a survey from December 15, 2020, to February 12, 2021, entitled: COVID-19: Reopening and Reimagining Universities. This survey was addressed to the 193 UNESCO Member States and its 11 Associates Members and aimed at providing an evidence-based overview of the…

The UNESCO Office in Bangkok is organizing a regional conference from 29 to 30 June 2021 as part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1970 Convention on Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. The Asia-Pacific Regional Conference will take stock of the region’s achievements to…

The Intergovernmental special committee meeting of technical and legal experts will be convened in April and June 2021 to examine the draft text of the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The negotiated and approved text will be submitted to Member States for the adoption by the General Conference of UNESCO at its…

This event invites the key water stakeholders from the megacities in Africa region to exchange experience and share knowledge. After the sharing session, the discussion will help lead to the first step for developing the Africa regional cooperation framework and pave the way to Mayors’ Congress at the Second International Conference “Water, Megacities and Global…

During the International Decade, global attention on the critical situation of many indigenous languages will be raised at international, regional and national levels, and resources will be mobilized for the preservation, revitalization and promotion of indigenous languages. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the period 2022-2032 as the International Decade of the Indigenous Languages (IDIL2022-2032)…

Paris, 8 June – In the context of global celebrations for World Oceans Day, UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission announced the first Actions officially endorsed as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’).   “From restoring the Great Barrier Reef to mapping 100% of the ocean floor in…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) installed the last session of the webinar series, Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for Our Everyday Life. In his opening message, UNACOM Officer-in-Charge Usec. Ernesto Abella provided a brief summary of the topics and key takeaways of the…

  The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. will install the fourth and last webinar of Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for Our Everyday Life. The session entitled, “Designing with Clients: A Mutual Understanding” will immerse you on strategies to have effective collaborations with your clients. UNACOM…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) organized the webinar-workshop entitled, “Reshaping Filipino Minds, Dedicating Talents Toward an Enduring Peaceful Global Community” as part of UNACOM’s 70th anniversary celebration. The event served as a platform to recollect the milestones since its establishment, to recognize UNACOM’s loyal public servants in terms of their number of…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) installed the third session of the webinar series, Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for Our Everyday Life. Former UNACOM Programme Officer for Culture Ms. Joana Bagano-Nuque who is a native of Benguet opened the session in emphasizing that…

The 70th Anniversary Virtual Celebration of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) is Live via Zoom and Facebook on 26 May 2021 (Wednesday) from 1:30 – 4:30 PM. See you! #UNESCO #UNACOM #PHNatCom #UNACOMAT70

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and the Baguio Crafts and Arts Council, Inc. bring you the third installation of the Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for our Everyday Life. The webinar on “IMAGINING A CREATIVE CIRCUIT: Dream or Reality?” will be held on May 26, 2021 (Wednesday), from 6:00-7:00 PM. PRE-REGISTRATION IS NOW…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) installed the second session of the webinar series, Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for Our Everyday Life. UNACOM Deputy Executive Director Lindsay Barrientos opened the session through her message about the importance of continuing dialogue efforts in protecting…

Come and join us tomorrow for a webinar on “THE FUTURE IS HANDMADE: Product Design and Craftmanship in the Digital Age” which will be held from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Pre-register now! Just click the link below: https://up-edu.zoom.us/…/WN_UvYkbHQ6RrC_xoA9x9mZew… Once registration has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom ID, passcode,…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and The Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) launched the webinar series on “Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for our Everyday Life” on 12 May 2021. UNACOM Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Usec. Ernesto Abella welcomed the participants in its first session on Ethnographic Mapping of Creative Assets of…

As the country celebrates the Month of the Ocean (MOO) in May, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu highlighted the role of ocean science as a key to spur relevant behavior change towards the marine environment. With this year’s theme, “The Science We Need for the Ocean We Want,” the…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines joins the celebration of the 2021 National Heritage Month (NHM) This year, the NHM celebration carries the theme, “VICTORY AND HUMANITY: Upholding Filipino Heritage and Identity” in solidarity with the commemorations of the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan (27 April 2021) and the 500th anniversary of…

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective, Inc. (BACCI) invite you to a series of Creative Talks: Design-led Creative Thinking for our Everyday Life. Live every Wednesdays of the months of May and June via Zoom, Facebook, and Youtube pages of the Baguio Arts and Crafts Collective,…

The “EIU/GCED Best Practices” is APCEIU’s key programme to explore and encourage innovative practices of EIU/GCED. APCEIU is delighted to invite educational practitioners from all around the world to take part in this programme this year by submitting their initiatives on EIU/GCED. Selected applicants will be granted USD 1,000 upon the submission of the required…

UNESCO, KOICA and DepEd Lead Ceremonial Groundbreaking to Kick Off Construction of Girls Education Center   Leyte, Philippines – The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, together with the Korea International Cooperation Office (KOICA) and the Philippines’ Department of Education, held a groundbreaking ceremony on 14 April 2021, celebrating the start of the construction…

Hello girls’ & women’s education champions! Make sure you tell us about your innovative work before it is too late! Nominations for the 2021 #GWEPrize are open! Deadline for submissions is on 26 May 2021. Find out more at http://unesco.org/gwe

Are you involved in promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)? Submit your application to the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development by 30 April for a chance to win US $50,000. Apply here: https://en.unesco.org/prize-esd #ESDPrize

The Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (PH NatCom or UNACOM) joins UNESCO in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme. “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference…

  The year 2021 is a crucial year for biodiversity, during which new objectives and new commitments will be made for the coming decade. UNESCO, as a laboratory of ideas and a guardian organization of knowledge and know-how respectful of biodiversity, has an important role to play in helping to shape and fuel a dialogue…

  National, regional, and site representatives convened for the final session of the National Online Workshops for the Philippine Participation in the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting of the World Heritage Convention last 18 March 2021. National Focal Points reported the substantial completion of each site’s inputs: 100% Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP), 99% Mount…

The British Council Philippines and the Department of Trade and Industry – Design Center will hold a virtual event from March 16-19, 2021 entitled Drivers of Change. Leaders and changemakers will exchange ideas on the important role of creative hubs in the growth of the creative economy. Moderated by Creative Innovators Fellow Kae Batiquin of…

    The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) organizes the National Online Workshops for the Philippine Participation in the Third Cycle of Periodic Reporting of the World Heritage Convention during the entire month of March 2021. The first session of the workshop series was virtually held last 2 March 2021. Representatives of the…

  Happy #WorldRadioDay! Radio allows us to #ShareEducation. Radio allows us to #ShareScience. Radio allows us to #ShareKnowledge. Radio allows us to #ShareInformation. Radio allows us to #ShareCulture. In a time where we must rely on science & education, radio is proving stronger and more vibrant than ever with its ability to reach the remotest areas under the toughest conditions. Here…

The #IDWGS celebration aims to promote full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls. Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO, and the support of young girls, their education, and their full ability to make their ideas heard are levers for development and peace. #IDWGS2021 #WomeninScience #WomenandGirlsinScience #UNESCO #UNACOM #PHNatCom

Message of DFA Undersecretary Ernesto C. Abella, Officer-in-Charge of the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO, during the Online Forum for the International Day of Education hosted by the Department of Education today, 25 January 2021. #InternationalDayofEducation #IDE2021 #Education #UNESCO #UNACOM #PHNatCom

Future priorities and strategic transformation of UNESCO at the heart of discussions of the 7th Interregional Meeting of National Commissions for UNESCO   The four-days meeting aimed to contribute to the ongoing elaboration process of the next Draft Medium-Term Strategy for 2022-2029 (41 C/4) and the Draft Programme and Budget for 2022-2025 (41 C/5) of UNESCO and…

UNESCO launched a photo exhibition entitled “Protecting UNESCO’s Marine World Heritage through scientific research” at the UNESCO headquarters from 07 October 2020 to 30 October 2020. 

On 28 August 2020, The Philippine Futures Thinking Society (PhilFutures), in cooperation with the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (PhNatCom), Northwestern University, Center for Engaged Foresight, Philippine Society for Public Administration, Millennium Project,

The German Commission for UNESCO, in cooperation with the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (PH NatCom), Leuphana University of Lüneberg, and BASF Stiftung, launched the Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) Programme at the Bicol University (BU) on 14 November 2018 in the Philippines. STEP aims to equip university students in multi-disciplinary backgrounds with the…

Opening Message of Secretary General Lila Ramos Shahani during the opening of ENTACool: 2018 Baguio Creative Festival last 10 November 2018 Naimbag nga rabii, naglaing kayo amin! Undersecretary Edwin Enrile, Tourism Promotions Board COO Venus Tan, CCP Chairperson Margie Moran, Benguet Governor Cresencio Pacalso, Congressman Mark Go, Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Laida Lim, artists, heritage workers, and…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Last 06 August 2018, UNESCO and Ateneo de Manila University hosted a week-long Teachers’ Training Course on Ethics here in Manila. Many scholars presided, including Dean Jonathan Chua and Dr. Rainier Ibana of Ateneo De Manila University, Dr. Zosimo Lee of University of the Philippines and three foreign scholars specializing in Bioethics – Dr. Bert…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]PH NatCom organized an exhilarating forum on “Filipino Youth and Violent Extremism in the Digital Age” last 19-20 July 2018. Looking at the causes and evolution of extremism in this country, PH NatCom led the discussion on the vulnerabilities of Filipino youth to the harsh realities around them, particularly in social media. Secretary General Lila…

[vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_images_carousel images=”1499,1500,1501,1507,1506,1504,1502,1508,1512,1513″ img_size=”570×380″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text] Last 29 June 2018, PH NatCom hosted an inter-agency workshop on the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. The 2005 Convention is essentially a response to the cultural imperialism of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). In the…

[vc_row content_placement=”middle”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_images_carousel images=”1518,1519,1520″ img_size=”570×380″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]PH NatCom Secretary General Lila Ramos Shahani represented the Philippines during the 5th interregional meeting for UNESCO National Commissions held in Diani, Kenya. It was a meaningful gathering of all UNESCO Secretaries General who shared the frustrations and difficulties in their respective countries, and also their many goals and aspirations.…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) inscribed the Culion Leprosy Archives to the MOWCAP Regional Register during its 8th General Meeting in Gwangju, Republic of Korea last 30 May 2018. Housed at the Culion Museum and Archives in Culion, Palawan, the…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]55 youth leaders all over the Philippines participated in the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Youth Leadership Training last 12 February 2018 at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City. UNESCO, through the Global Action Programme, has been dedicated to generating and scaling up ESD action at all levels and areas of education. Last…