Ivan Henares

21/09/2026

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission is pleased to share a copy of its 2025 Annual Report: https://www.unesco.gov.ph/2026/09/annual-report-2025/

12/09/2026

EXPLAINER | The presence of trees in the watershed above Metro Manila is not enough to slow floodwater.

What is needed is closed canopy forest dense enough to intercept rainfall before it rushes down into the capital region, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting said Friday.

Kabigting told DZRH News program "The Situation Report" that the Upper Marikina watershed technically has forest cover but much of it is open canopy, and that community dependence on forest land for farming and shelter remains one of the most persistent drivers of deforestation.

Full story below.

09/09/2026

For 40 years, Seoul buried its soul under 4 lanes of concrete.

In the 1960s, South Korea built the Cheonggyecheon Expressway directly over a historic downtown river.

It was hailed as a monument to economic progress. Instead, it became a grey canopy of toxic smog, blistering urban heat, and endless gridlock.

In 2003, the city did the unthinkable. They tore it down.Critics predicted economic ruin and traffic chaos. Instead, they ripped away the highway, unearthing the forgotten waterway beneath.

When the Cheonggyecheon Stream opened in 2005, the transformation was instant:

The air cleared: Wind paths opened, blowing away the suffocating smog.

The city cooled: Local temperatures plummeted by up to 5.9°C.

Nature returned: Egret and wildlife, unseen for generations, reclaimed the water.

Today, it is a global icon of urban renewal. It stands as proof that humanity can always undo its mistakes and that paradise is sometimes just waiting beneath the asphalt.

24/08/2026

Let’s talk about the Ifugao Rice Terraces. Batad and the other clusters need support versus constant landslides and climate change. The Ifugao Rice Terraces should be a national priority.

But structures are increasing all over Ifugao. We need the Ifugao Heritage Code ASAP not to stop construction but to regulate scale, design, colors, and context.

22/08/2026

The UNESCO-Philippine National Commission joined the Punnuk 2026 festivities in Hungduan, Ifugao.

Punnuk is a post-harvest tug-of-war ritual practiced by the Tuwali people in Hungduan, Ifugao, Philippines. It is part of the tugging rituals and games in the rice-farming cultures of East Asia and Southeast Asia that were inscribed in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.

Held in the Hapao River, it marks the end of the rice harvesting cycle and gives thanks to nature deities. Residents from neighboring barangays Hapao, Ba-ang, and Nungulunan take part. Key objects include the kina-ag (a human-like figure made of bundled rice stalks) and pakid (wooden hooks/poles). The physical tugging in the river symbolizes community strength, cooperation, and a prayer for a prosperous future agricultural cycle. After the matches, the kina-ag is set loose down the river to signal downstream communities that the harvest is complete.

20/08/2026

20/08/2026

14/08/2026

Megaworld and its clueless replicas. They demolish the originals and claim to build replicas.

A piece of Iloilo’s aviation history is making a comeback.

Megaworld has unveiled a replica of the iconic old Iloilo Airport control tower, bringing back a familiar landmark from the city’s past.

The original Iloilo Airport in Mandurriao served as the city’s main gateway before operations were transferred to the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan in 2007.

Today, the former airport site has been transformed into Iloilo Business Park, a major mixed-use development featuring offices, hotels, residential towers, retail spaces, and lifestyle destinations.

The replica pays tribute to the site’s aviation heritage while giving younger generations a glimpse of what once stood here. ✨

09/08/2026

Meeting of the National Memory of the World Committee in Panglao Island, Bohol. Tomorrow, the committee will lead a workshop in Tagbilaran City for the preparation of the nomination of the Cantorales of Bohol.