Int'l experts meet on disaster risk reduction of heritage sites

(Right to left) Embassy of Spain's Ferdinando Zapico; Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation, Inc. represented by Jeffrey Cobilla; UP College of Architecture's Armin Sarthou; UST's Regalado Trota Jose in an international symposium held at Pres. Osmena Theater of Ayuntamiento de Manila in Intramuros, Manila. This event gathered renowned experts in the heritage field from Asia and Spain to share their expertise and technical skills in the preventive maintenance of heritage structures in order to reduce their vulnerabilities from natural disasters, particularly, the potential risk of imminent seismic movements in the West Valley Fault. Looking at the devastation brought by the 2013 Bohol Earthquake that reduced to rubble and significantly damaged a number of heritage churches as well as the powerful quake that recently hit Surigao and other areas in the Visayas underscored compelling reasons to reframe the conservation principles in order to make the country's historic building and sites more resilient to natural calamities. The symposium was held Wednesday (Feb. 15, 2017) at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Building in Intramuros, Manila. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)
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