People tend to cast Manila in the past tense, indicating a “disconnect” between its history and its modern-day development. It is a perception that Diego Torres, president of Renacimiento Manila, hopes to change. Living up to its name, which means “revival,” the group hopes to bring about Manila’s cultural rebirth, with a strong focus on heritage tourism.Formed in January 2020 by Torres and his colleague Bea Dolores, Renacimiento Manila wants to draw public attention and support for heritage conservation. It now has about 40 members to help raise awareness about the city’s cultural treasures that may have been forgotten or undervalued.Always something new
“Though the city is culturally rich in terms of heritage, these treasures are under threat of demolition, destruction and decay,” Torres said. “Structures are anchors for the development of areas for future heritage-based tourism, which could then [boost] economic opportunities for people in that area.”Renacimiento Manila holds regular heritage walks through the city’s oldest landmarks, including the Walled City of Intramuros, and around Tondo and Quiapo. Since the walks started in 2021, the group has toured 500 to 600 people, some of them repeat guests because, as Torres noted, “there’s always something new to familiar walks.” Those interested in joining the walks can register through the group’s Facebook page.Renacimiento Manila also shares fun historical facts and talks on its social media pages. Despite its focus on the past, the organization’s online visuals are strikingly modern with minimalist and vector art. The design is meant to appeal to their target audience: the youth.“[They] are the ones who would eventually inherit the city,” Torres said. “And it is through building values in terms of pride of place and of heritage that we can be assured that they would pass these on to their friends and eventually, their children.”This “youthful energy” is what sets Renacimiento Manila apart from other heritage advocacy groups, causing the public, government agencies and educational institutions to take notice. Getting young people involved also bridges “the feeling of yearning for the past [with the passion for] making it relevant to the future,” Torres said, amplifying one of the group’s slogans: “Going beyond nostalgia.”
In July, Renacimiento Manila launched a digital exhibit at Chinatown Museum in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Featured were digital reconstructions of Escolta, Plaza Morga, Plaza Cervantes, Jones Bridge, Calle Rosario and Calle Luna before the World War II.Seeking support
“The funding provided (by Chinatown Museum and the NCCA) enabled us to expand the digital project by hiring interns and giving talent fees to the 3D creators behind the prewar model of Manila,” Torres said. The exhibit is part of the group’s Digital Manila project, which hopes to expand people’s knowledge of Manila in the 16th century and 17th century. The group is seeking help from government and the private sector to create other apps and programs, including games, that would showcase Manila and its history. Innovation, Torres said, is critical in engaging the public and steering the discussion. “Marrying innovation with the history of the city, seen not just through its structures but the story of its people, that’s how we’re telling the story of heritage,” he said. INQ
