Rep. Javi Benitez Welcomes PH Election to UNESCO Intangible Heritage Committee, Thanks Team Behind Paris Win
June 18, 2026
Chair of the House Special Committee on Creative Industries and Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez congratulated the Philippine delegation that secured the country's election to the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2026 to 2030 term today, June 18. The Philippines won the seat with 106 votes during the 11th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 Convention, held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Rep. Benitez said the result places the country among the 24 nations that decide which living traditions the world recognizes and protects. "This is about who we are. Our languages, our music, our crafts, our food, the traditions passed down through generations, from Negros to the rest of the country," he said. The Representative said the win carries direct weight for his committee's work, noting that intangible heritage is the source material of the creative economy. "As Chair of the Special Committee on Creative Industries, I will keep working to protect our culture and help it grow, because it gives our people jobs, pride, and a story worth telling the world," he said. The lawmaker directed his appreciation to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, along with the Permanent Delegation in Paris led by Ambassador Eduardo Jose de Vega. "Congratulations to our team in Paris. Thank you for making us proud," Rep. Benitez said. The Intergovernmental Committee guides best practices on safeguarding cultural expressions, indigenous knowledge, and traditional practices. It also decides on nominations to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists. The Philippines has inscribed seven elements across these lists, among them the Hudhud chants of the Ifugao, the Darangen epic of the Maranao, Buklog of the Subanen, Aklan piña handloom weaving, and the artisanal sea salt Asin Tibuok of Bohol. The country previously served on the Committee from 2016 to 2019. It assumes its new seat immediately and will hold it until 2030. *
