MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur (PIA)--Over the past years, Tugaya town in Lanao del Sur province has always progressed with its celebrated brand as the renowned cradle that houses and fosters Maranaos' colorful and rich culture.

Maranaos, who have always looked up to the named municipality to preserve their identity, attest to this.

Lawyer Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, a formerly known member of the Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and the current chief of the Marawi Compensation Board, emphasized that it is vital for Tugaya to be recognized as a locality with the highest concentration of artisans, which builds the reputation and legacy for their ethnic group.

With this, she said they need to focus on an initiative called cultural mapping. 

As explained, cultural mapping is an initiative that goes beyond documenting processes and visualizing different sides of cultural resources to include tangible and intangible elements, to form an image of a diverse community.

In the case of Tugaya town, its local government unit (LGU) led this effort, aided by the former office of Latiph and the Ministry of Trade, Investments and Tourism (MTIT).

“Tugaya is the cradle of Maranao artisan culture. The very purpose of cultural mapping is to paint a visual augmented representation of the cultural landscape of Tugaya that can help artists, residents, communities, and organizations in Tugaya,” said Latiph.

The same sentiment was expressed by Iman Lucman, Executive Assistant of the Bangsamoro Commission for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (BCPCH), who believed that this significant undertaking would preserve the heritage and cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of their cultural identity. 

Seeing this, he conveyed his office’s full support for advancing cultural mapping in Tugaya town. 

“Culture is the soul of a society. It binds people together. Tugaya is blessed with diverse customs, traditions, and cultures. Thus, it is just right that the project started in Tugaya,” said Lucman.

In their pursuit of preserving their culture, the LGU-Tugaya also bared that they are gearing up to be recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization for their cultural heritage. (CRG/PIA-10/Lanao del Sur)