Philippine Historical Association (PHA), in cooperation with the National Historical Institute (NHI), is holding today its Annual Conference at the National Museum, in Manila. The event is in line with the celebration of National History Week (September 15-21, 2009) which is organized by the NHI.

Anchored on the theme “Kabayanihang Pilipino: Ang Mukha ng Bayani sa Agos ng Kasaysayan,’’ the conference seeks to analyze the changing Filipino concept of heroism and provide a venue for sharing strategies, methods, and techniques in teaching heroes and heroism in the classroom.

Among the topics to be discussed are “Mga Limot nang Bayani sa Kasaysayan’’ (History’s Forgotten Heroes), “The Filipino Soldier in History,’’ “Ang mga OFWs: Mga Bagong Bayani’’ (The OFWs: The Modern-Day Heroes), “Ang Kabayanihan ng mga Kababaihan’’ (The Heroism of Women), and “Pagtuturo ng Kabayanihan sa Silid-Aralan’’ (Teaching Heroism in the Classroom).

A tour to various historical spots in Cavite dubbed “Lakbay-Aral sa Cavite’’ is slated tomorrow, September 19, 2009. The sites to be visited include the Shrine of the Battle of the Binakayan and the Emilio F. Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit; the site of the Tejeros Convention in Rosario; the Casa Hacienda de Naic in Naic; and the Bonifacio Trial House and Mt. Nagpatong in Maragondon.

The Philippine Historical Association is a professional association of historians in the Philippines founded on September 18, 1955, by a group of prominent historians. PHA is affiliated with the National Historical Institute, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the Philippine Social Science Council. It is a founding member of the International Association of Historians of Asia.

The NHI is a national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine historical heritage through research, information dissemination, and conservation, including the marking of historical sites and structures and the maintenance and administration of national shrines, monuments, and landmarks.

Much of the gains we now enjoy, especially relative to democratic freedom, we owe to the noble and courageous men and women of our nation’s history. May the Convention serve to encourage us to nurture the legacy bequeathed to our generation, and remind us to do all that we can within our respective capacities to safeguard the democratic institutions we have in place and use these, mindful of each other’s rights and our responsibilities to our country and our fellow Filipinos.

We congratulate the Officers and Members of the Philippine Historical Association led by President Professor Evelyn A. Songco, Ph.D., and the National Historical Institute headed by Executive Director Ludovico D. Badoy, on the occasion of the Philippine Historical Association Annual Conference and wish them success in all their endeavors.