Legarda: Oslob, A Model for Preservation of Nature and Culture

SENATOR LOREN LEGARDA, CHAIR OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON CULTURAL COMMUNITIES, LAUDED THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF OSLOB IN THE PROVINCE OF CEBU FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN PRESERVING THEIR RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES.
Legarda was the Guest of Honor at the culmination program of the Oslob Heritage Week held at the town’s Cuartel Park where the statue of Fr. Julian Bermejo, and the heritage markers for Calle Aragones, the Immaculate Concepcion Parish Church, and the Church Walls and Gates were unveiled. The Oslob Museum was also launched at the said event.
“Oslob is a model for preservation of nature and culture. The people of this town have given due importance to their history as they immortalized it through the museum and heritage markers that were unveiled. They have also given proper recognition to individuals who have shaped their history, like Fr. Joaquin Bermejo, known for being a faithful servant of God and a remarkable military commander,” she said.
The Senator enjoined the citizens of Oslob to carry on with their efforts to care for their culture and history. She encouraged the preservation of the century-old Cuartel, as well as the whale sharks or “butanding”, which are found in very few coastal sites in the country, including Oslob and Donsol in the Province of Sorsogon.
Legarda also urged other towns and provinces in the country to have their own museums, just like the Oslob Museum, where they can preserve their tangible cultural properties and showcase the same to the world.
“Our pride in being Filipinos fundamentally begins with the awareness of the beauty of the Philippines – the land and its people – our heritage or ‘pamana’, which we must rightfully pass on to the next generation of Filipinos,” she stressed.
“We must all work together to preserve our heritage, which is our birthright, our identity and our legacy so that wherever we go, we know who we are, where we came from and take pride in our being Filipino,” Legarda concluded.