The British Museum and Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities are currently embroiled in a custody battle for the Rosetta Stone, an ancient Egyptian artifact which dates back to 196 BC. It was discovered by the French in 1799 at Rosetta and contributed greatly to the deciphering of the principles of hieroglyphic writing. Egypt claims that the stone, housed in the British Museum today, is “stolen property languishing in exile.”

Egypt is also in the middle of a growing dispute with Germany over a 3,500-year-old limestone and stucco bust of Queen Nefertiti. Nefertiti has been on public display at the Neues Museum in Berlin since 1913 but Egypt is now demanding that the fragile object be returned home.

Similarly, some 200 years ago the sculptures that decorated the Parthenon in Athens were brought to London by Lord Elgin, British Ambassador to Constantinople. Since then, there has been relentless international debate about the removal of the sculptures, named the Elgin Marbles, and whether they should be returned to Athens.

The Philippines has its share of lost treasures. The Balangiga bells are three church bells taken in 1901 by US forces from the town church of Balangiga in Samar as war booty. The Americans burned down the town after Filipino forces ambushed a US Infantry Regiment during the Philippine-American War, taking with them the bells. Despite attempts by several Philippine administrations to recover the bells, the American government insists they are US government property.

This demonstrates the immeasurable value of cultural heritage. Culture reflects and shapes the values, beliefs, and aspirations of a people, thereby defining their national identity.

A country’s cultural and historical heritage is its most valuable and irreplaceable national treasure.

Sadly, we have been guilty of cultural neglect. We have painfully witnesses the defacement if not complete destruction of buildings and other historically or artistically significant structures, bridges, parks, and other public spaces. Churches have been unsystematically renovated or relieved of precious materials such as beautifully wrought religious images of ivory and wood relleves, as well as silver frontals of altars.

Much of these important structures have given way to modernization and commercialization, and the rich repository of our culture is literally becoming a thing of the past.

We cannot let this go on any further.

We must protect our cultural heritage strongly, effectively, and unambiguously. Last week the National Cultural Heritage Act, which I authored and sponsored in the Senate and with Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara in the House, was passed by the bicameral panel of Congress. The bill provides a comprehensive framework for the preservation of Philippine cultural heritage, including cultural sites, old buildings, monuments, shrines, and landmarks of cultural and historical value.

It will become the centerpiece of our country’s efforts at conserving and preserving our cultural and historical treasures. It shows that we are serious in preserving our national treasures and keeping our identity as a people.

Email: edgardo_angara@hotmail.com Website: www.edangara.com