The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is leading this year’s National Heritage Month (NHM) with a renewed focus on community engagement, sustainability, and the digitization of cultural records.

Anchored on the theme “Preserving Legacies, Building Futures: Empowering Communities through Heritage,” the celebration highlights heritage not as a relic of the past but as a vital force shaping the nation’s future.

Declared through Presidential Proclamation No. 439, series of 2003, National Heritage Month is observed every May to foster appreciation for the Philippines’ diverse cultural identity and legacy.

“We recognize that our heritage is not merely a reflection of the past—it is a living entity,” said NCCA chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to making heritage preservation accessible and participatory.

The month-long celebration opened with a series of lectures in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte from May 1 to 2. Throughout the month, activities will take place nationwide, ranging from workshops and training programs to scholarly seminars.

On May 7, the National Library of the Philippines in Manila will host two workshops: one on library resource preservation and restoration, and another on digitization in the context of cultural heritage. Simultaneously, the Bicol Association of Museums Summit will be held at the Vinzons National Historical Landmark in Camarines Norte, focusing on developing standardized museum operations across the region.

Academic institutions also play a key role in this year’s observance. The University of Santo Tomas will convene a seminar from May 20 to 22 on the vulnerabilities of ecclesiastical archives to environmental and political threats. In Tacloban City, Eastern Visayas State University will host a writeshop on transregional historical links from May 20 to 21, followed by a training program on heritage structure conservation from May 26 to 27.

In Marawi City, Mindanao State University will conduct a basic archives and digitization training for the Meranao community from May 27 to 30. Meanwhile, artists and gallery owners can join an Archiving and Collections Management Workshop on May 31 at Estancia Mall in Pasig City.

The NHM 2025 closing ceremony is scheduled for May 27 or 28 in Sorsogon City.

This year’s lineup is made possible through collaboration with several NCCA national committees, including those on libraries and information services, museums, archives, historical research, monuments and sites, and art galleries.