Editorial (June 2017): The role of culture in development

The role of culture in development

It is perhaps not a coincidence that the two biggest news in this issue are about culture and business. At first glance, the two seem unrelated: one is often associated with frills and frivolity, the other considered more serious and important.  

A deeper study of culture will show just how essential it is to the day-to-day life of the town. What’s more, culture is often tied to the local economy -- culture brings a lot of business. Defined by anthropologists as “the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning,” culture is what makes us unique, inviting outsiders to take a glimpse, if not have a taste, of what we can offer to the world.

In separate addresses, Vice-Mayor Raul R. Sabangan, and Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President Gabriel Tristan P. Fernandez noted that in many towns they have visited, they noted a distinct cultural pride among members of the community, and for this reason, tourists flock to their place.

Bayambang may not be Baguio, Batanes or Bohol, but it is not entirely lacking in potential attractions and the business opportunities they present, if we only mine our local culture to the full. After all, we are known for many things: the fifth capital of the Philippines, the home of a 400-year-old St. Vincent Ferrer parish, the home of binasuan dance, the producer of the best fish buro, the holder of the world’s longest barbecue grill, the cornbelt of Pangasinan, the onion capital of Pangasinan, the home of an educational institution (PSU-Bayambang) of many firsts (the first kindergarten class, the first class for gifted children, etc.). Vice-Mayor Sabangan himself pointed out that we can consider our innate goodness and faith too, and what visitor will not love to visit a place “where the best things happen,” whether tangible or intangible?

Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao’s all-out support for tourism and cultural projects and activities under the guidance of the Bayambang Municipal Council for Culture and the Arts is therefore laudable, as it is on the right track. A town that is proud and protective of its historical and cultural heritage will no doubt reap rewards not just in terms of civic pride, but also in terms of economic gain.