Culture. Communities. Commitment.
Faculty researchers from Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) College of Teacher Education, ACCESS Campus, completed an intensive training-workshop titled “Cultural Mapping: Documenting Heritage, Empowering Communities” from October 5 to 7, 2026.
Led by the University of the Philippines – Asian Institute of Tourism (UP-AIT), the three-day seminar-workshop prepared delegates for field data gathering on two university-funded research studies: establishment of STEAM Museum, the documentation of sacred traditions and the mapping of historic festivities and prominent personalities across Sultan Kudarat.
The SKSU delegation included faculty researchers Evora H. Dioneza and Ramil M. Arciosa, ACCESS Campus Director Dr. Christine P. Abo, Instructional Materials Development Center (IMDC) Director Dr. Amira Mae C. Gumanoy, Socio-Cultural Affairs Director Dr. Emy A. Morbo, Curriculum Review and Development Chairperson, Sherry V. Mecida.
The program highlighted technical sessions led by National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) cultural mapping facilitator-speakers, featuring expert resource speakers Prof. Ricamela Saturay-Palis, PhD, and Mr. Raymund “Rama” Marcaida. Over a hundred participants gathered for the training, bringing together representatives from local government units, non-government organizations, business owners, tour guides, local artists, and academic institutions.
The workshop equipped participants across five core competency areas:
1.Application of cultural mapping frameworks, tools, methods, and field techniques.
2.Organization and management of field cultural mapping teams.
3.Cataloging of tangible heritage (both movable and immovable).
4.Documentation of intangible cultural heritage.
5.Identification and mapping of significant local personalities and cultural institutions.
Armed with standardized methodologies and technical frameworks, the SKSU research team will now deploy to the field for actual data collection, ensuring that the living history and cultural matrix of Sultan Kudarat are recorded for academic literature and public record.
