Chapter 10
SOCIO-CULTURAL EVALUATION
10.1Importance of Socio-Cultural Evaluation
The socio-cultural resources of Central Luzon are potential resource-assets for tourism development. These resource-assets has great tourism application that can generate community-based livelihood and employment opportunities. The sociocultural resources include the traditional communities, archaeological and historical sites, festivals, indigenous arts and crafts, cuisine, myths and legends, as well as folklores and oral history. These resource-assets represent the country's heritage that is reflective of the region's identity.
Promotions of socio-cultural resources for tourism purposes will require an extensive and meticulous evaluation because of the possible "over-exposures" that these cultural assets will have to withstand. Socio-cultural evaluation identifies the tourism potentials of these resource-assets with relevance to the environmental and cultural settings of the host communities. It also identifies the existing and perceived impacts of tourism to these socio-cultural assets and to devise appropriate mitigative measures and management plans to protect and better enhance cultural heritage for tourism development.
The need to promote the cultural heritage of the Central Luzon region in the tourism industry should be balanced with the need to preserve and conserve the sociocultural integrity of these resources. The implications of tourism to the cultural heritage of the region must be evaluated so that appropriate measures to protect its integrity are put in place. Proper application of tourism may be one of the best restraints to the depletion and degradation of the region's cultural resources.
These are ethical considerations in the socio-cultural aspects of tourism that should be taken into account in the promotion of the region's cultural heritage. The social aspects of tourism on the region's resource-assets will always have implications to the culture of the host communities. One facet of tourism development is the attraction of the people themselves, their traditions and customs. However, in most cases, once communities are made open for public exposition, it becomes vulnerable to alteration of their culture.
The principal reasons for developing tourism is for economic benefits; however, in keeping with the concept of sustainable development, environmental and sociocultural considerations must be weighed together to achieve balanced development. Socio-cultural considerations must be well rationalized so that planning, developing and managing tourism will be successful.
10.2Socio-Cultural Characteristics
Central Luzon or Region III comprises the six provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales. The total population placed at 6.933 Million in 1995 makes it as one of the fastest growing populations in the country with a growth rate estimated at 2.12% for the period 1990 to 1995. With a total area of 18,231 sq. km., population density stands at 380.3 persons/sq.km. In 1990, male-female population was estimated at 3,118,227 and 3,070, 489.
The region is divided into two groups of provinces: the urbanized provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga and Zambales, and the rural provinces of Nueva Ecija and Tarlac. The ratio of urban population to the total population or the urbanization ratio was 60.3%, considered the highest of all the 13 regions except the NCR. The proximity of Bulacan and Pampanga to Metro Manila places the region as the second largest receiving region of out-migrants from Metro Manila. Of the total population in 1990, Pampanga is the largest with 1.53 million followed by Bulacan with 1.51 million resulting to an urban population ratios of 68.7% and 79.9%, respectively.
Central Luzon is host to four ethnolinguistic groups. These are the Kapampangans, Tagalogs, Sambals and the Aetas. The Kapampangans are predominant in the provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac while the Tagalogs in the provinces of Bulacan, Bataan and Nueva Ecija.
The population of indigenous cultural communities is estimated at 119,845 individuals or 24,354 families. More popularly known as the Philippine Negritos, these short, dark-skinned and kinky-haired peoples are found in all parts of the country and are considered the earliest inhabitants in the islands. Although called by different names, those found in the provinces of Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga and Tarlac are better known as the Pinatubo Negritos. More specifically, they identify themselves as the Aeta, Abellings (or Aborlin), Dumagat/Remontado. Considered as semi-nomadic, the Pinatubo Negritos' striking characteristic is their inexhaustible knowledge of the plant and animal kingdoms. This lore includes not only a specific recognition of a phenomenal number of plants, birds, animals, and insects, but also includes a knowledge of the habits and behavior of each (Fox 1953). This intimate knowledge of their environment may be attributed to their way-of-life as hunters and food-gatherers. The scattered villages rarely contain more than three or four households totaling 20 to 40 individuals. There is no over-all political organization or even strong leadership and each village or extended family is an independent communal grouping. Important decisions are made by the elder members of each family grouping.
With the eruption of Mt.Pinatubo in 1990, most of the Pinatubo Aeta have been uprooted from their natural habitat and are now distributed in several resettlement sites all over the region.
The Pinatubo Negritos generally speak Sambal, which is also largely spoken by the Christian lowlanders of the municipality of Botolan. Depending upon the intensity of their personal contacts with their Christian neighbors, the various Negrito groups of Central Luzon speak other languages. The Negritos of Bataan speak Tagalog, those of Pampanga, Kapampangan and/or Tagalog while Negritos of southern Zambales speak Iloko.
10.3Cultural Impact of Tourism
Tourism can generate socio-economic impacts because of the possibility of bringing social change to the host community. Impacts brought about by tourism can be critical to the host communities with very strong traditional and cultural attachment to the resource-assets.
Cultural resources as tourism resource-assets are vulnerable to destructions, degradations and disturbances of various kinds. One that may be considered as serious impact is the exposure of indigenous people to various foreign cultures once they are used for tourism promotion. Indigenous people will likely to be parting with their treasured cultural artifacts in exchange for market commodities because they are enticed to adopt new culture, acquiring new traits and becoming less and less of what they were before.
Portrayals of traditional culture of indigenous peoples, more often than not, alter the ethnicity of the respective cultures and are replaced with modern versions. In most cases, the traditional dances, rituals, clothings, religions, are already simulated resulting in alterations and degradations.
Allowing cultural traditions to be opened to participation from foreign cultures, poses a great threat to traditional values. The alteration of indigenous culture is unavoidable when confronted with foreign culture.
Promotion of archaeological and historical artifacts for tourism development sometimes can lead to illegal exploitation, pilferage exportation and even theft. Proliferation of fraudulent artifacts become rampant when excavated cultural materials command high commercial value in the antique markets because of its uniqueness and significance in terms of its cultural relevance to the country's prehistory. Because antiquities from archaeological and historical sites are part of tourist milieu, mass productions of fraudulent artifacts may result in the alteration of the cultural integrity of the cultural materials.
Other perceived impacts of tourism development to cultural resources are impairment of scenery to historic monuments and archaeological sites (such as caves and open-sites) by tourists facilities such as commercial structures without the aid of proper zoning. Cultural sites such as archaeological and historical sites have a carrying capacity to accommodate visiting tourists. For example, accommodating visitors to an archaeological site inside the cave beyond the capacity limit may lead to the deterioration of the site due to over-use and physical proximity.
10.3.1Conservation of Archaeological and Historical Sites
Tourism can help justify the conservation of the cultural heritage of Central Luzon. It can also be the best deterrent to the degradation and destruction of region's cultural heritage. The conservation of archaeological and historical sites lies on the political will and the ability of the local or the host communities to protect these cultural resource-assets because if these are lost, cultural tourism will never be successful. In the case of Central Luzon, tourism may be the impetus for the reconstruction of the rich cultural past of the region.
Preservation of known and significant historical monuments and reconstruction of archaeological sites for tourism promotion require sufficient fundings from government and private institutions. Re-constructions of archaeological and historical sites also demand adequate traditional, as well as legal protection and management mechanisms.
Showcasing the cultural practices of the prehistoric peoples of the region for tourism purposes may be done appropriately without having to degrade the integrity of these cultural resource-assets. For example, using replicas instead of the actual artifacts
in the archaeological site museums may well be one of the best mechanisms to preserve and conserve sensitive and very fragile cultural materials.
Archaeological site museums (open and cave sites) may be developed into major cultural tourism attractions. The use of replicas instead of the original cultural materials can provide re-constructions of the prehistoric cultural setting of the archaeological sites. The reconstruction must be carried out on the basis of complete and detailed documentation on the original cultural setting and to no extent on supposition. Historicity alone may not be sufficient and it should be supplemented by artifactual remains that are culturally significant to make visitors appreciate the history and pre-history of the sites.
There are several significant historical sites in Central Luzon. Among them are: the Capas Shrine (Tarlac), Death March markers (Bataan), the Barasoain Church (Bulacan), Dalton Pass (Nueva Ecija), Betis Church (Pampanga), and Fort Playa Honda (Zambales). The other listings of historical resources provided in this report have great contribution to the rich history that shaped-up the region as part of the nation.
The archaeological and historical heritage of the region are non-renewable resourceassets. As a policy, the application of tourism as a procedure for conservation of these cultural resources can greatly help in minimizing and/or avoiding negative impacts on the cultural heritage of the region.
A Cultural Tourism Program (CTP) to be initiated by the Local Government Units (LGUs) with the support of the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) and Department of Tourism (DOT) must be made. The main objectives of the CTP are the promotion, enhancement and preservation of these region's cultural resource-assets. The CTP will have put strong emphasis on the appreciation of the cultural values of the ,egion's heritage and that will eventually lead to the effective protection, preservation, and management of these cultural resource-assets.
10.3.2Indigenous Music, Dances and Festivals
The Central Luzon region is known for its rich indigenous music and dances. These cultural resource-assets are reflective of the region's lifestyle and old cultural traditions and has great tourism application. In the case of the Aetas in the region, their traditional versions of music and dances are always associated with their rituals that take place in the context of sociological activities, such as, wedding, birth, good harvest, etc.
The need to revitalize the indigenous and authentic traditional versions of the music and dances of the region must be given with utmost importance. These cultural assets enhance the region's cultural appeal with respect to its local tradition. Maintaining the authenticity of the local dances and music require special training programmes so that modification are carefully controlled.
Cultural and religious festivals are part of the region's rich cultural diversity. The Fluvial Festival of Bocaue and the Obando fertility rites in the province of Bulacan are among the religious festivals of the region that are annually celebrated in honor of their patron saints. Revitalization and enhancement of these cultural festivals is very important because their activities depict the region's cultural identity.
10.3.3Cultural Development Policy and Program
The general policies that are applicable to the archaeological, historical and other cultural resources of the region is the development of tourism in gradual basis so that host communities have the time to adapt, be educated and to learn how to participate and benefit from it. Such an approach will provide lead government agencies such as the DOT and LGUs sufficient time to monitor the socio-cultural impacts of tourism and provide measures before problems get serious.
Recognizing the value of the country's cultural heritage, the Philippine government provides the policy to protect and preserve these cultural assets, the properties and histories. Unless development projects recognize the significance of archaeological and historical conservation as an integral element in planning, expensive and unwanted delays can result and cultural resources can be inadvertently destroyed and/or degraded. The existence of protective legislation and policy at the national, provincial and municipal level or well-established traditional or adequate management mechanism, will be the best deterents for the degradation and destruction of the region's cultural resources.
The basic law that provides protection and preservation of the country's cultural heritage is Republic Act 4846, otherwise known as the "Cultural Properties and Preservation Act". This law must be implemented through the coordinated effort between the local government units, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Tourism and the NationalMuseum.
The need to create a community-based Cultural Tourism Program (CTP) may well be the best restraints to the destruction and degradation of cultural resources of the region. The CTP must complement the regional development plan for tourism of Region III that must be supported by national government agencies such as the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), as well the Congress and which will run in tandem with the national short, medium, and long term socio-economic development strategy of the region.
Under the community-based CTP, an agency that handles the preservation and management of cultural resources must be created. The task of this agency is to identify and register significant cultural resources and properties of the community. This agency will review and develop plans that are likely to cause positive arid adverse impacts of the CTP programs on cultural resources. Training programs will also be an essential component of the CTP because it will impart knowledge and understanding of the significance of cultural properties to the cultural workers (curators, guides, etc.). As has been emphasized, the host communities should be part of the planning and development process of tourism so that they have an influence in the decision-making and feel that they are part of the tourism development.
Community museums provide ideal venues to the preservation and conservation of. the cultural heritage of the host community. Exhibitions of the community's cultural heritage products render appreciation and enrichment of visiting tourists, both local and foreign. Developing and maintaining community museums may be assigned to the local government units, colleges and universities as well as private and non-profit organizations. Ideally, the six provinces of the Central Luzon region must have provincial and community museums.
The enactment of the Local Government Code of 1993 that mandates the local government to establish a provincial, city or municipal council for the promotion of culture and arts, may well be the best opportunity for the local government to become actively involve in the protection and promotion of the community's cultural heritage.
Proposed development plans for CTP will require an Archaeological Impact Assessment (AIA) if archaeological resources as cultural assets are utilized for tourism promotion. The conduct of an AIA will help identify impacts and determine what appropriate mitigating and management measures will be recommended to prevent and/or minimize loss of what could be significant cultural resources of the region. The AIA will also assist public and private sector management and development agencies in the design and implementation of effective integrated resource management plans.
10.4Social Impact of Tourism
Tourism has the potential to contribute positively to socio-economic development if managed, planned and controlled by the people who stands to benefit, or suffer, from its implementation. Whatever the means chosen, its development depends at least in part on an assessment of the impacts it is likely to have. The social impact of tourism development will then depend on the role of tourism within the development strategy of the whole region.