For National Women's Week, we celebrate women who do exemplary work in promoting our local culture. From a long list, this writer has selected six women from a pool of countless equally impressive individuals who have contributed - and continue to contribute - to our society’s rich cultural heritage. Here are some of them.

It is a rare privilege to encounter a national living treasure, and few personify that distinction like Lola Magdalena Gamayo. When I met her, she was 99 years old; she became a centenarian in 2024. Even at that age, she continues to weave inabel, the traditional handwoven textile of Ilocos Norte, while mentoring a new generation of artisans.

A recipient of the prestigious Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) award in 2012, Lola Magdalena is one of fewer than 30 Filipino artisans honored with this recognition. She actively participates in workshops at the Pinili Inabel Center in Nueva Era, sharing her mastery of patterns, techniques, and the cultural stories embedded in every thread.

During my visit, I watched her complete a piece featuring the Kusikok or Kusikos pattern, a swirling motif believed to ward off evil spirits. Even after nearly a century of life, her hands move with precision, weaving not just cloth, but the living legacy of her people.

In the highland town of Pasil, Kalinga, the Philippines’ first Indigenous Slow Food Community, I met two more female cultural bearers. Rowena Gonnay has rallied her neighbors to cultivate organic produce in backyard gardens, preserving heirloom recipes and serving healthy dishes to locals and visitors alike. “From seed to plate, it’s all labor and legacy,” she says, a philosophy evident in every harvest.

Nearby, Lola Kum-as, the village’s oldest living potter, reminds the community that even cookware carries history. Pasil’s earthen pots are shaped entirely by hand, without wheels or machines; a practice passed down through generations. During a brief demonstration, Lola Kum-as showed us the meticulous craft behind the pottery, as her smile radiates the warmth of a doting grandmother.

Bearers of Filipino culture also include those from the culinary world. Travelers often do not leave Batac without stopping by the famous row of empanada stalls in front of the church. The oldest stall still frying up empanadas is Glory’s Empanada, founded by Gloria Aduana Cocson, now 83, who began making empanadas at 15.

Over the years, she perfected her ingredients and technique, turning her empanadas into Batac’s most beloved snack. Becoming a single mother at a young age, Lola Gloria persevered, eventually supporting her seven children through her business. Her dedication has earned her recognition among Ilocos Norte’s most celebrated culinary figures, including the Kalipi Award and the Gameng Lifetime Achievement Award.

Those who have visited Iloilo and perhaps all of Panay Island and hired a tour guide would know Erlyn Alunan: a woman who carries the history of the island like a walking book. She is filled with endless tales from each town’s traditions, backstories, characters, epic legends, and beliefs ranging from the religious to the superstitious - as well as her experiences as a young tour guide in the 1980s, showing around the likes of Aga Muhlach and Richard Gomez.

Tour guides like her are why I always recommend hiring a local guide to gain a deeper understanding of a place. People like Erlyn Alunan not only preserve local culture but also retell stories worth sharing about our country.

The youngest person on this list, Jhomaica is a recent college graduate now working as a staff member of Mayoyao's Tourism Office. Despite her youth, she is already capable of serving as her town’s cultural ambassador, as she is knowledgeable in singing the Ifugao Hudhud chant.

The Hudhud, listed on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is composed of narrative chants that the Ifugao people have traditionally sung since as early as the 7th century. It consists of hundreds of chants recounting traditional practices, ancestors’ religious beliefs, epic tales of warriors, customary law, and history. In the past, these chants were usually sung or recited by elders holding significant positions in the community, such as historians or preachers, and completing a full recitation could take several days.

After a dazzling opening salvo of National Arts Month in Luneta on February first, and a series of parallel celebrations in Davao City, Butuan, and the various Art FriDates across Angono, Rizal; Bulacan; Biñan, Laguna; Quezon Province; and Muntinlupa—each organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in cooperation with local arts stakeholders—the Visayas took its turn in Palo, Leyte. There, the event matched up the energy and creativity of the other events, showcasing the town’s rich cultural talent while hosting an insightful dialogue on the ways in which local arts might be further nurtured and championed across the archipelago.

Capping February’s National Arts Month, a cultural showcase titled “Pagsalin-urog” brought together homegrown artists and performers from across Eastern Visayas, offering audiences an evening of music, dance and visual expression rooted in the region’s heritage.

The program highlighted the depth of the Visayan arts scene while giving local audiences a chance to see their own cultural traditions interpreted onstage. For visitors, it offered a glimpse into the region’s artistic identity through Waray songs and dances.

Music anchored the evening, with performances by ensembles including the Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company musicians, the Palo National High School Rondalla, LNU Dumagsa, Palo Cathedral Grand Choir, LNU Philharmonic Singers, the Palo Ambassadors Orchestra and Brass Band just to name some. Dance groups such as the Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company, the Leyte Dance Theater, Shadow Arts Theater of Palo, and the Leyte Normal University Dance Company added movement and narrative, joined by performing arts groups and secondary schools across Region VIII.

The program unfolded in four segments: Paglingi (“Looking Back”), Pagpukaw (“Awakening”), Pagtindog (“Standing Up”), and Pagpadayon (“Moving Forward”). Inspired by the experiences of communities that endured the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the performances reflected memory, resilience and renewal, a reminder of how culture sustains communities long after disaster has passed.

Before the night’s performance, an informative talk was held, hosted by the local government of Palo and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), with participation from students of various local schools. The invited speakers included Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua, NCCA’s Head of the National Committee on Music and Dean of the UST Conservatory of Music; Jenelyn Garcia, member of Katig Writers and representative of the National Committee on Literary Arts; Dr. Dennis Montera, former Head of the National Committee on Visual Arts; and Mr. Victor Hao Cuenco, who delivered a talk titled Staging a Dance Production.

One is struck not only by the iconic MacArthur Landing Memorial cast in bronze but by the stories it carries. “They do not simply commemorate an event,” said Dennis “Sio” Montera, a practicing visual artist and educator. “They transform history into form, gesture, and presence.”

The Philippines’ visual culture, from precolonial tattoos to Spanish-era churches, reflects a deeply ingrained sense of meaning. Tattoos, once symbols of courage and rites of passage, “were not merely decoration. Every ink or image represents a ritual passage, a lived experience,” Montera explained. Bestowed from adolescence to elderhood, these markings charted both personal and communal identity.

“Objects created in the past were not merely for decor but for purpose,” he added, pointing to early Chinese trade and ritual objects. These artifacts, now displayed in several museum in the country, connect Filipinos to centuries of cultural memory.

The colonial period introduced new forms, particularly in religious architecture. Churches across the archipelago, with cruciform designs, grand altars, and retablos, served as visual sermons. “Faith is something that cannot be seen,” Montera said, “but man needs proof. When you need proof, you build this—an edifice, a painting, a sculpture.” Art became a vehicle for belief, community, and continuity.

Montera also highlighted contemporary artists from Leyte who continue to shape the nation’s visual vocabulary. Works by Rico Palacio of Palo and Dante Enage of Tacloban, whose Patterned Paradise represented the Philippines at the 2025 Art Biennale in Beijing, show that local creativity is alive and globally recognized. “Art began as meaning, not decoration,” he concluded.

Music education in the Philippines has been steadily curtailed, folded into the broader MAPE curriculum and often limited to a single monthly session. “Music is being put as part of MAPE, wherein you meet once a month, that is a very limited level of training,” said Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua. Students rotate between music, arts, physical education, and health, leaving little room for practice, exposure, or mastery.

Yet Filipinos remain passionate listeners. A recent survey found the country leads the world in daily music-listening time, averaging 126 minutes. “Music in the Philippines serves as a rich source of cultural and creative capital, nurturing generations of musicians and performers,” Chua said.

Access, however, remains unequal. Lessons in piano, violin, or voice are often reserved for those who can afford them. “Not everyone can afford piano lessons or violin lessons. Access to music should not depend on income,” Chua emphasized. Untapped talent is lost not for lack of ability, but opportunity.

Compared with neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia, where music is core to early education, Philippine students face a shortened experience. “When you remove arts, you remove music, you remove our own identity,” Chua warned. “Creation is the highest level. We must create our own music.”

Music is more than a subject: it is identity, culture, and imagination. Neglect it, and both talent and heritage go unheard.

In a session designed to spark creativity, Jenelyn Garcia encouraged students to write freely, urging them to produce fiction that she would gladly critique. She also highlighted the works of Merlie Alunan, the Visayan writer nominated this year for National Artist for Literature, offering a tangible example of literary achievement from the region.

Meanwhile, Victor Hao Cuenco presented a master class titled Staging a Dance Production, delving into the complexities of festival planning. He emphasized the critical role of production elements and the ways choreographers and festival organizers can elevate their craft, ensuring that performances resonate authentically with the communities they represent.

The talk concluded with a lively Q&A, showing that the students’ curiosity had been piqued by the speakers. To wrap up the discussion, Montera asked why many Filipinos seem to know more about artists from other countries, such as Vincent Van Gogh. He explained that it is because other countries produce more writing about their artists, while the Philippines has very few writers focusing on its own. “That should change,” he said, “as we find more reasons to celebrate our artists.”

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), together with partner agencies including the Department of Tourism, Department of Agriculture, and the Philippine Culinary Heritage Movement, will lead the nationwide celebration of Filipino Food Month in April 2026 under Presidential Proclamation No. 469.

Observed every April, Filipino Food Month — also known as Buwan ng Kalutong Filipino — highlights the richness of the country’s culinary traditions while promoting Filipino cuisine as an important expression of national identity.

This year’s theme, “Connected by Taste: Filipino Food in the Flavors of ASEAN,” underscores the Philippines’ shared culinary heritage with its Southeast Asian neighbors while celebrating the distinct flavors, traditions, and stories behind Filipino food.

For 2026, the Iloilo City will host the national launch and major activities of the month-long celebration. Recognized by UNESCO as the Philippines’ first Creative City of Gastronomy, Iloilo is widely regarded as one of the country’s leading culinary destinations and a fitting venue for discussions on food heritage and regional cuisine.

Events throughout April will include food festivals, cultural presentations, and academic discussions organized by national agencies, local governments, and culinary groups across the country.

Among the major events is KainCon, scheduled from April 16 to 18, and Hapag ng Pamana, which will take place in Zamboanga City and Marawi City later in the month.

Several regional festivals will also be held as part of the celebration, including the Balikutsa Festival in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, the Halo-Halo Festival in Sultan Kudarat, Philippines, the Taraon Festival in Infanta, Pangasinan, the Viva Binatbatan Festival of Arts in Vigan City, and the Kanen Festival in Urbiztondo, Pangasinan.

The Department of Tourism will also mount “Karabasalicious” on April 13, highlighting regional food traditions through culinary showcases and heritage talks.

Meanwhile, the NCCA will hold special cultural events at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls, including Food Fridates featuring local governments from Mabalacat City and Samar Island, as well as Esplanade ThursDates on April 30.

Ahead of the official launch, the Department of Agriculture will organize a Kadiwa Pop-Up Store on April 2, promoting local agricultural products and supporting Filipino farmers and food producers.

The month-long celebration will culminate on May 2 with a closing ceremony and turnover event.

Organizers say the initiatives aim to deepen public appreciation for Filipino culinary heritage, support local food producers, and position Filipino cuisine within the broader cultural landscape of Southeast Asia.

As climate change accelerates coastal flooding, a vast land reclamation project backed by a corporate giant is reshaping the shoreline and may be hastening the ground’s descent. A small cat padded cautiously across the wet concrete, a tilapia nearly half its size dangling from its mouth. Behind it, heaps of fish lay scattered across the wet floor of a low-roofed shed that serves as the Panasahan Fish Port in Malolos, Bulacan. At the edge of the Kalero River, one of the narrow waterways that thread through Bulacan before emptying into Manila Bay, a motorized boat eased into dock. Its catch was hoisted into a metal container by three fishermen and slid across the floor toward the shed.

Moments later, another boat arrived, this one carrying not fish but passengers, a reminder that in this part of the province, water remains a vital thoroughfare as much as a source of livelihood. “They probably came from Pamarawan,” said Jing Ordona, our guide and the lead organizer of the coastal tour. His ManiLakad curated tours focuses on history, local culture and community life. Pamarawan, he added, was our next stop.

We boarded a lantsa (a motorboat without outriggers) which our boatman said could carry more than 30 people. Our group of 15 sat comfortably, one or two to a row. I had the sense that the boat was designed for this purpose: to ferry residents between barangays now living in island communities off the coast of Bulacan mainland.

As we passed through a narrow channel flanked by mangroves, I imagined its potential as an eco-tourism site. Our boatman, Nicole (a man with a traditionally feminine name) told us the area is home to several bird species that stop by during migration season.

So far, aside from social workers and government staff assigned to various projects, very few visit Pamarawan as tourists. Most passengers, he said, were residents, their relatives, or others with personal reasons to make the trip.

After half an hour, we arrived at the island home to more than 3,300 people and walked across the community to the other side of town. A local resident pointed out evidence of a long-running road-elevation project. “Look at the original level of the road,” he said, gesturing toward a classroom door now nearly half-buried by layers of concrete.

Another resident explained that seawater reaches the streets during high tide, a daily occurrence. “Ankle-deep when it rains lightly, knee-deep when it rains hard, and waist-deep and up during a typhoon,” she told us in Tagalog.

While the people of Pamarawan contend with constant tidal flooding, former residents of Sitio Pariahan and Sitio Torres in Barangay Taliptip, Bulakan, Bulacan, have faced an even harsher fate: resettlement. Many of these communities has been submerged by rising waters, the result of climate change compounded by inadequate flood control measures.

After decades of gradual land sinking, the area met its final turning point in 2011, in the aftermath of Typhoon Mina. Today, the eerie remains of the abandoned Santo Niño Church in Sitio Torres and the Sta. Cruz Chapel in Sitio Pariahan stand as solemn reminders of what the sea has claimed.

Our motorboat journey continued to another island called Binuangan. Along the way, we passed the area designated for the planned new Manila International Airport, where tracks and massive tractors moved busily across the site.

At Binuangan, we spotted a hilltop that appeared snowy, only to learn from a local that it was actually the Navotas Landfill. Along the community’s shore, heaps of trash had been carried in by the tides. At the island’s church, the Nuestra Señora de Salambao Mission Parish, we saw a collection of church bells from sunken churches, including those of Sto. Niño and Sta. Cruz.

One thing our Bulacan Coastal Tour taught me is that you can’t really reclaim land from the sea. While Manila’s coastline has extended along Roxas Boulevard, the opposite is happening along Bulacan’s coast. Much of the water we cruised through on a motorboat yesterday was still farmland just a few years ago.

Yes, these areas used to flood easily. Today, however, large portions are completely submerged—accelerated by yet another major reclamation project: the planned Manila airport in Bulacan. The eye test and the lived experiences of local communities tell the real story.