The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) convened on December 10, 2025, a milestone meeting bringing together the Paete Historical and Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Japan Foundation, Manila to explore collaborative pathways for sustaining one of the Philippines’ most treasured cultural heritage sites.
Mr. Joven Cajipe, president of the Paete Foundation, opened the conversation with a candid portrait of the realities the artisan community now faces—shrinking markets, aging craftsmen, and the challenge of passing on knowledge that lives not in books but in hands. His reflections grounded the room in the truth that heritage survives only when its bearers do.
CAS faculty member Ms. Mairene Leynes introduced an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) framework tailored for heritage contexts. The framework offers a structured and humane approach to designing programs that do not merely admire tradition from afar but actively support artisans in sustaining their craft, culture, and livelihoods.
Representing Japan Foundation, Manila, Ms. Yuko Fujimitsu shared valuable perspectives from their ongoing immersion work in Paete, identifying promising partnership opportunities between CAS faculty and the Paete Historical and Cultural Heritage Foundation that build on existing community relationships. Following the meeting, Ms. Fujimitsu expressed particular interest in applying the ESD framework, recognizing language education as a vital pathway for cultural conservation.
CAS Vice Dean for Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Mic Camba framed the gathering as an expression of the College’s mission: scholarship that does not stay within campus walls but moves outward—toward communities, cultures, and real human needs. Through research, cultural programming, and education, CAS aims to be a partner in safeguarding heritage while promoting sustainable futures.
The meeting in UA&P, following a December 5 immersion in Paete led by CAS Dean Dr. Philip Peckson and CAS Vice Dean Dr. Mic Camba, brought together CAS Operations Committee members, faculty representatives Dr. Philip Michael Paje, Mr. Louis Vincent Amante, and Ms. Mairene Leynes, and UA&P Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs Dr. Gladys Golo.#
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