From heritage to policy: Legarda moves to institutionalize Schools of Living Traditions

Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts, formally sponsored on November 12 a landmark measure institutionalizing the Schools of Living Traditions (SLT), a decisive step toward safeguarding Indigenous knowledge systems and community-based cultural practices.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, by establishing the Schools of Living Traditions as a national program] under the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to preserve and strengthen community-led heritage transmission.

“Our nation’s soul is intricately woven through songs, stories, designs and crafts,” Legarda declared in her sponsorship speech. “Each rhythm, each pattern, carries the living memory of our ancestors, an enduring expression of our identity, our resilience, and our collective spirit.”

The Schools of Living Traditions program, recognized by UNESCO in 2021 as a model of Good Safeguarding Practice, enables cultural masters to pass on Indigenous knowledge systems through hands-on, community-based learning.

The Philippines is home to 222 Indigenous Cultural Communities, comprising over 14 million Indigenous Peoples whose rituals, chants, and craftsmanship form the backbone of the nation’s intangible heritage.

Legarda emphasized the urgency of institutionalizing SLTs, citing the vulnerability of many traditions amid rapid modernization, declining intergenerational learning, and the absence of permanent institutional support.

“Since the 1990s, I have steadfastly supported the NCCA and its pioneering work through the Schools of Living Traditions,” she said. “However, these initiatives have primarily operated through grants, without a stable, long-term budgetary framework. This bill seeks to fill that critical gap.”

The proposed measure establishes SLT Centers nationwide to serve as hubs for research, training, and coordination, empowering cultural communities to remain the foremost custodians of their heritage. It also positions living traditions as drivers of inclusive growth, linking traditional crafts and practices to the creative economy and tourism industries.

“Our living traditions are not only cultural treasures but also sources of livelihood and innovation,” Legarda noted. “In this way, our ancestral wisdom becomes a foundation for sustainable development, where cultural authenticity drives creativity and prosperity.”

Legarda concluded with a call for swift passage: “Let us ensure that progress and tradition walk hand in hand, guiding our nation toward a future that is not only modern and dynamic but also deeply rooted in the strength of our cultural identity.” (30)