“Nakakain ba ang kultura?”
I often hear this question, and my answer is yes. While culture may not literally be something we can eat, it strengthens us because it is a part of our identity and unites us as a community.
During the hearing of the Committee on Culture and the Arts, we emphasized culture’s importance in our lives and our nation.
Among the topics discussed was the continued support for Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs), community-based centers aimed at teaching the youth traditional skills from their ancestors to protect these practices. As part of our support for SLTs, we will coordinate with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to integrate SLTs into the DOLE-TUPAD program. In this way, we can help SLTs earn and secure additional funding that they can use for teaching.
We also discussed the Philippine Studies Program, which we championed together with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other government agencies to promote the culture, arts, and history of the Philippines in renowned universities abroad. Its goal is to deepen the understanding of the Philippines among both Filipino and foreign students in international universities.
The simple truth is this: culture feeds us and nourishes us in ways far beyond the physical. Culture fuels economies, but much more than an economic driver, culture is also the glue that binds us as a people. Culture is our dignity. Protecting it is no abstraction but an investment in the Filipino people—not merely to sustain our bodies, but to nourish our spirit; not just to survive, but to truly live.
