Philippine History for Free

Posted on 03 August 2021
By NQC Secretariat

The
National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) vowed to upload online its rare Filipiniana collection, including its rich historical photographs, maps, documents, illustrations, artworks, ephemera, artifacts, audio & audio-visual holding, local history documentation, archives of government seals and historic sites plans, and other historical materials–downloadable in high resolution for free.

From the 8th LHCN General Assembly.

On 3 August 2021, in the 8th Local Historical Committees Network General Assembly, NHCP Chairperson Rene Escalante and Executive Director Restituto Aguilar announced to the historians and advocates of local history and the observers that the NHCP is now on phase two of the National Memory Project Philippines. Launched on 12 August 2020, the Project was funded by the National Quincentennial Committee as its legacy project to posterity. Its first phase was to make public its library and museum collection catalogs accessible via https://nqc.gov.ph/en/memory-project/. It will be transferred to the NHCP for maintenance and further development into a digital library.

“Through the National Memory Project Philippines, you helped the NHCP charter a new chapter in its institutional history by joining the global campaign to democratize historical knowledge.,” said Director Aguilar in his report to the LHCN General Assembly.

During the open forum, Chairperson Escalante shared that the NHCP is “now in the process of purchasing the infrastructure necessities” of the National Memory Project Philippines. “Starting 2022, the digitization and making our collection available online will be the centerpiece of our master plan for the next five years… Karamihan po ng aming koleksyon ay magiging available na online for free of charge.”

In her message read on her behalf of Chairperson Escalante, House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda commended the NHCP for the project, to wit, “Upon reviewing the achievements of the Baler Agenda, I note that you have responded to the strong recommendation of the historians and scholars from the provinces to democratize your collection in Manila and 27 history museums across the country for free.”

“As we now operate and function in the new normal, not only will the LHCN affiliate-members benefit from this wonderful project of the NHCP, but also our students, teachers, and even the ordinary people, both here and abroad,” she added.

The
National Memory Project Philippines is a commitment of the NHCP to the LHCN National Action Plan 2019-2022 (a.k.a., Baler Agenda) which will expire on 30 June 2022.

Follow the proceedings of the 8th LHCN General Assembly here [https://bit.ly/2VifF4s].

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