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Proposed Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga

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Chapter 1
Introduction
Philippines, one of the countries recognized with diverse community,
tradition, and culture, is dealing with the dilemma of the recent downward spiral
of culture of the present generation. The plague of modernism and lack of sense
of nationalism towards the countrymen continues as the new generation easily
forgets what and how does the tradition works. The situation of the Philippines is
not too different from that of other countries in Southeast Asia. It is confronted
by many socio-cultural challenges, such as rapid population growth, poverty,
ethnic and religious conflicts, and other social problems. Filipinos are too open
for changes or transition in their lifestyles which led to the adaptation of different
cultures of other nationalities that gave confusion to the present generation.
The importance of connection on every Filipino must be a priority in order
to build up a good nation. It must establish economic opportunities, maintain
sociopolitical stability, and promote good stewardship --- all to ensure better
quality of life of its citizens. Of above all, the country must focus on the strategic
measures and activities, which will spur economic growth and create jobs.
The tourism industry is among the sectors that have the potential to boost
up the Philippine economy. It can be a powerful economic growth engine for the
country, if developed in a sustainable manner. It develops quickly, promotes
culture of tourism through a safer and cleaner environment that benefits not only
the tourist but also the entire community. But nowadays, Philippine tourism was
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going off the road. The culture are being taken for granted, people embraces
westerner culture, in which, children of the present arent recognizing anymore
what have made up the present Filipino free and extensive. People dont
commercially advertise their own culture and sells other nations goods and
tradition. Though the importance of our culture is still intact in some communities,
the aim is still so glue society as a whole, that will make up the country as one
strong nation with a wider sense of social capabilities.
Art, as one of the demarcating line of Filipinism, reflect a society
with diverse cultural influences and traditions. The Philippines has a larger
and more vigorous artistic community than any other Southeast Asian nations
because it has four cultural heritages - Asian, European, Mexican, and American.
Different lineage of arts is present among Filipinos, it can be literary, music,
painting, and many more mixed media arts. From the early times, people often
are visionary, expressing things through graphics and artistic approaches in
order to communicate with their fellows. Art is an essential form of connection /
bond between people, it is an expression of saying things though emotional
giveaways of ones work. The contribution of art in elaborating the culture to
Filipinos have been a long way that made what does the society looks today.



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Background of the study
"Culture is the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional
features that characterizes a society or a group. It includes creative expressions,
community practices and material or built forms."
from Our Creative Diversity: The UN World Commisssion on Culture and Development
Report
Culture is the soul of the society, without it, a city may not become a city. It
partakes in building a good nation, a wide spread of nationalism towards the
people. Because without culture, no person can form a group or community. The
Philippines, one of the most distinct country and recognized as one of the most
diversified archipelago, has the most intricate culture of all. In its 7,101 islands,
vast traditions and beliefs exist, different dialects, arts, and festivities are
celebrated, that gave break and identity in each community.
There are three main islands in the Philippine; Mindanao, the second to
the largest in the group, one of the most culturally diverse islands in
the Philippines where people of different languages, tribes and races meet, have
become a melting pot in different culture. Visayas, consisting primarily of several
islands, have formed several cultures that shares great extends of traditions
today and one of the most visited festivities of foreign countries. Luzon, the
largest of the group, one of the densest island due to its geographical structure
that enables the easy accessibility of transportation and communication, have
been a home for most of Filipinos and their strong modern culture. Luzon
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composes of different regions; one of the biggest regions that cater most of the
population is the Central Luzon.
Central Luzon, an administrative division or region of the Republic of the
Philippines, is one part of the country which has developed such cultures, in
terms of ethnic minorities to the majorities that is still dominant in each
community. One of the earliest region to sprawl up development other than
Visayas and Mindanao, it is also extensive in a manner of building a sense of
pride among the Filipinos due to the enriched and preserved history and culture.
One of the most dominant community and first province created by the
Spaniards is Pampanga. Renowned by the shared general culture and tradition,
The Pampangos apply themselves to the same industries as the Tagalogs but
are renowned for certain crafts for which they excel. They are exceptional
jewelers and goldsmiths, as well as furniture makers and woodcarvers. Antique
jewelry and furniture from Pampanga are considered valuable heirlooms by
Filipino families and as priced possessions by antique collectors.
Pampangos are also renowned throughout the archipelagos as excellent
cooks. They have ingeniously incorporated indigenous, Spanish and Chinese
elements into their cuisine that have made the Pampanga food preparation and
culinary arts both exotic and sumptious.
The province of Pampanga had been held under the influence of the
Catholic Church since the beginning of Spanish colonization. Some of the most
colorful and interesting observances are connected with Christian holidays. Every
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year, during Christmas time, Pampanga becomes the hub of a thriving industry
centered on the making of colored lanterns alit with blinking patterns of light.
There are many communities that build up the tradition of Pampanga, and
one of them is Angeles City which is considered as the first class community in
Pampanga. A home for settlement, Angeles city is a haven for retirees and
people who wants tranquil and peaceful environment. The land is gaining world
fame today as the entertainment capital of the Philippines. It distinguishes itself
as one of the fastest-growing cities outside of Metro Manila.
It has a most advantageous location, with the quickest access to Clark
Freeport Zone and, not an hour away, Subic Freeport Zone, both special
economic zones which attract major attention from some of the worlds biggest
investors. The city provides an ideal environment for international entrepreneurs
not only for the booming nightlife district, but also for the large, highly educated
workforce that the citys universities continue to produce.
Development Opportunities and Constraints
Discussed herein are the development constraints and opportunities of
Angeles City derived from the trend analysis, socio-economic profile, map sieve
and land use analyses, and use of other analytical tools, as well as the inputs
from the participants of the various Technical Working Group (TWG) meetings
and public consultations that were held relative to the updating of the
development plans of Angeles City.
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Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis
was also done. In the context of this plan, development constraints refer to
weaknesses and threats while development opportunities pertain to strengths
and opportunities. Moreover, strengths and weaknesses belong to the internal
environment while threats and opportunities refer to the external environment.
Development Opportunities
Described in this section are the more important development strengths
and opportunities of Angeles City which when properly utilized or capitalized on
will further enhance the citys level of development.
Strategic Location
As discussed earlier, the Metropolitan Clark Area shall function as the
most important urban center in Central Luzon with its hinterlands possibly
extending beyond the regions borders to include the Northern Luzon regions.
Because of this huge market potential, urban and economic activities will tend to
converge at Metro Clark.
Proximity to Clark Freeport Zone
Through an Act from the Philippine Congress, R.A. 7227 was amended
giving Clark Special Economic Zone, including the Diosdado Macapagal
International Aviation Complex, a freeport status. Just recently, Texas
Instruments, one of the worlds biggest electronic manufacturer established its
plant in Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) with more than a billion dollar investment.
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This, and the general ripple effect of CFZ to Angeles City in terms of jobs,
demand for services, housing, commerce and trading, among others, will be a
big boost to the economy of the city.
Availability of Advanced Infrastructure Facilities
Angeles City is the most accessible urban center in Central Luzon. From
Metro Manila, it can be accessed through the MacArthur highway and the North
Luzon Expressway. Upon the completion of NorthRail in few years time, an
alternative rail transport system will become available. From Subic or from the
North, Angeles City can also be reached through the Subic-Clark-Tarlac
Expressway (SCTEx). Upon the completion of the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union
Expressway (TPLEx), access northward will be further enhanced.
Skilled Human Resource Base
Angeles City is a leading center for education and higher learning in and
out of the region. Its tertiary schools are among the top performing universities in
the country. Its primary, secondary, trade and technical schools are adequately
provided by the government and the private sector. Relatively high income and
the availability of these learning facilities produce a huge stock of skilled
manpower.



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Development Constraints
Traffic Congestion
Traffic congestion is on the other side of the fence progress. As a regional
urban center and a regional transportation hub, Angeles Citys hinterland
includes the Metro Clark Area, the entire Central Luzon, including the Northern
Luzon regions. Thus, most if not all its major thoroughfares such as the
MacArthur highway, Angeles-Porac Road, Magalang-Angeles Road, and the
CBD roads have been experiencing severe traffic congestion.
Declining Environment Quality
As thoroughly discussed in the environmental chapter of the Angeles City
Socio-economic profile report, Angeles City must implement measures that will
arrest its declining environmental quality. Pollution of all types is the culprit
including urban congestion.
Social Development Plan
A highly urbanized city like Angeles has inevitably took a shift from a
predominantly agricultural economy to one led by industry and service. The
latter normally have higher impact in terms of productivity, employment and
growth. In the case of Angeles City, however, the sectoral shift resulting to the
dwindling area previously used for agriculture has not accorded the farmers
opportunity for stable employment and income. The designation of Angeles City
as home for the largest U.S. Military Air Force facility in the Far East and its
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subsequent conversion into a special economic and freeport zone in Clark have
left those not only dependent on agriculture for living, but more so the tens of
thousands of in-migrants who were forced to rely on industry and service for
survival and life. These people left behind by the development of Angeles as a
pillar in the International Gateway development strategy have to rely on the
national government and the City government for their basic needs.
Moreover, the most recent effects of the global economic downturn have
made industries within Clark and those outside it but within Angeles City volatile,
making them unreliable as stable sources of income. The huge task of providing
social services as a primary responsibility of the City Government of Angeles is
even made more complicated by the imperative on the part of the national
government to observe more wisdom in the allocation of the shares of local
governments in view of the shortfall in internal revenue collections.
Yet, Angeles City doesnt stop growing; one way of defining the city is
through showcasing whats within the city and what cultures they are having.
Angeles City is rich in history and culture which the City could tap to promote its
tourism industry. This program shall involve the preservation of the Citys cultural
sites and the showcasing of traditions and cultural practices to keep these in
perpetuity for the appreciation and enjoyment of the Citys residents and visitors.
Cultural Centers which articulates Architectural value and distinguishes pride
among the citizens should emerge in order to introduce it through local up to
international.
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The purpose of the Cultural Center proposal on the land of Angeles City
will not only redefine the city, but also to condense the community throughout
Architecture. As Architecture is a catalyst of social change among people, the
importance of creating a new environment for the people, harnessing awareness
for the new generation, will be a response to the needs of giving life again on
what we are losing as of the present time. To be the focal of the community, it
aims to glue the society that will develop a deeper sense of pride in the place, to
manifest again importance of the history and tradition that makes up us today. To
preserve the culture of Angeles city that is transcending today to be forgotten, it
should be the kick start of being one of the most socially responsible building that
in terms of Architecture, it tells the story on how Angeles have built up its
community and tradition.
Statement of the Problem
Major:
How will the architecture edifice of project cater the needs in order to
advertise the diverse culture and tradition of Pampanga?
Specific:
How to educate the people about Pampanga using architecture?
How to design a cultural center which will serve as the focal point of the
city to exhibit the rich, diverse culture, history and tradition of Pampanga?
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What design strategy will help promote dynamic activities for the general
public?
How to integrate cultural promotion and development programs using
architecture.
Research Objectives
Major:
To build an architectural edifice catering the needs of advertising the
culture of Pampanga
Specific:
To design a cultural center which will educate the general public about
Pampanga through its architectural value
To design a cultural center which serves as the focal of the city to exhibit
the history, tradition and culture of Pampanga
To design a complex where dynamic activities are open for public use
To design a complex where it integrates cultural promotion and
development




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Significance of the Study
The proponents are aiming to study the significance of enriching the
culture through networking with the development of an iconic landmark which will
boost up the cultural value which Filipinos are now forgetting. The study
composes of data about culture of Filipinos, effect of the socio cultural shift in the
country, and how will the Cultural Center articulate the purpose and architectural
value of having a Cultural Center. The proponents are achieving on the optimum
solution how will the architectural design of the Cultural Center affect the users
and how it will play a role on their daily lives without compromising with being a
white elephant to the society and how the building will be able to evade that.
Scope and Delimitations
The investigation conducted by the proponents on Angeles City,
Pampanga regarding the feasibility of having a Cultural Center is perceived
during the year 2014. Data were collected through site reconnaissance and wind
shield survey through the vicinity of Marquee Mall, Clark City, Angeles,
Pampanga; its neighboring communities, roads and access egress and its
surrounding environment.
The proponents examined the advantages of the site to the proposal. The
programs needed to be address to be put upon the said project and its effect
upon completion. However, the project proposal limits the number of services to
be put upon the site, depending on what it caters; some programs will not be
carried out nor selected in its space requirements. The project doesnt guarantee
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to apply all the solutions and cases on how to permit cultural value on the said
proposal.
Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature and the Present Study
Defining Culture. Culture is a complex concept, with many different
definitions. But, simply put, "culture" refers to a group or community with which
we share common experiences that shape the way we understand the world. It
includes groups that we are born into, such as gender, race, or national origin. It
also includes groups we join or become part of. For example, we can acquire a
new culture by moving to a new region, by a change in our economic status, or
by becoming disabled. When we think of culture this broadly, we realize we all
belong to many cultures at once.
According to DuPraw, M. and Axner, M (1997), as people from different
cultural groups take on the exciting challenge of working together, cultural values
sometimes conflict. We can misunderstand each other, and react in ways that
can hinder what are otherwise promising partnerships. Oftentimes, we aren't
aware that culture is acting upon us. Sometimes, we are not even aware that we
have cultural values or assumptions that are different from others'. There are
fundamental patterns of cultural differences that tend to vary from one another
described below. Thus, the descriptions points out some of the recurring causes
of crosscultural communication difficulties.
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1. Different Communication Styles. The way people communicate varies
widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is
language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different
ways.
2. Different Attitudes toward Disclosure. In some cultures, it is not
appropriate to be frank about emotions, about the reasons behind a conflict or a
misunderstanding, or about personal information. Keep this in mind when you are
in a dialogue or when you are working with others.
3. Different Approaches to Knowing. European cultures tend to consider
information acquired through cognitive means, such as counting and measuring,
more valid than other ways of coming to know things. Compare that to African
cultures' preference for affective ways of knowing, including symbolic imagery
and rhythm. Asian cultures' epistemologies tend to emphasize the validity of
knowledge gained through striving toward transcendence.
While all cultures have these and possibly many other universal traits,
different cultures have developed their own specific ways of carrying out or
expressing them. Oneil (2006) stated that, culture and society is not the same
thing. While cultures are complexes of learned behaviour patterns and
perceptions, societies are groups of interacting organisms, people who directly or
indirectly interact with each other. People in human societies also generally
perceive that their society is distinct from other societies in terms of shared
traditions and expectations.
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While human societies and cultures are not the same thing, they are
inextricably connected because culture is created and transmitted to others in a
society. Cultures are not the product of lone individuals. They are the
continuously evolving products of people interacting with each other. Cultural
patterns such as language and politics make no sense except in terms of the
interaction of people. If you were the only human on earth, there would be no
need for language or government.
Some Key Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is manifested at different layers of depth
In analyzing the culture of a particular group or organization it is desirable
to distinguish three fundamental levels at which culture manifests itself:
(a) observable artifacts, (b) values, and (c) basic underlying assumptions.
When one enters an organization one observes and feels its artifacts. This
category includes everything from the physical layout, the dress code, the
manner in which people address each other, the smell and feel of the place, its
emotional intensity, and other phenomena, to the more permanent archival
manifestations such as company records, products, statements of philosophy,
and annual reports. Schein (1990)
To really understand a culture and to ascertain more completely the
groups values and over behaviour, it is imperative to delve into the underlying
assumptions, which are typically unconscious but which actually determine how
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group members perceive, think and feel. Such assumptions are themselves
learned responses that originated as espoused values. But, as a value leads to a
behavior, and as that behaviour begins to solve the problem which prompted it in
the first place, the value gradually is transformed into an underlying assumption
about how things really are. As the assumption is increasingly taken for granted,
it drops out of awareness.
2. Culture affects behaviour and interpretations of behaviour
Hofstede (1991, p.8) makes the important point that although certain
aspects of culture are physically visible, their meaning is invisible: their cultural
meaning ... lies precisely and only in the way these practices are interpreted by
the insiders. Similarly, choice of clothing can be interpreted differently by
different groups of people, in terms of indications of wealth, ostentation,
appropriateness, and so on.
3. Culture can be differentiated from both universal human nature and unique
individual personality
Culture is learned, not inherited. It derives from ones social environment,
not from ones genes. Culture should be distinguished from human nature on one
side, and from an individuals personality on the other, although exactly where
the borders lie between human nature and culture, and between culture and
personality, is a matter of discussion among social scientists.
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Three levels of uniqueness in human mental programming (Hofstede 1994,p.6)
The personality of an individual, on the other hand, is her/his unique
personal set of mental programs which (s)he does not share with any other
human being. It is based upon traits which are partly inherited with the
individuals unique set of genes and partly learned. Learned means: modified by
the influence of collective programming (culture) as well as unique personal
experiences.
Hofstede (1994, p.56) Cultural traits have often been attributed to
heredity, because philosophers and other scholars in the past did not know how
to explain otherwise the remarkable stability of differences in culture patterns
among human groups. They underestimated the impact of learning from previous
generations and of teaching to a future generation what one has learned oneself.
The role of heredity is exaggerated in the pseudo-theories of race, which have
been responsible, among other things, for the Holocaust organized by the Nazis
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during the Second World War. Racial and ethnic strife is often justified by
unfounded arguments of cultural superiority and inferiority.
4. Culture influences biological processes
If we stop to consider it, the great majority of our conscious behavior is
acquired through learning and interacting with other members of our culture.
Even those responses to our purely biological needs (that is, eating, coughing,
defecating) are frequently influenced by our cultures.
Clyde Kluckhohn, an anthropologist who spent many years in Arizona and
New Mexico studying the Navajo, provides us with a telling example of how
culture affects biological processes: I once knew a traders wife in Arizona who
took a somewhat devilish interest in producing a cultural reaction. Guests who
came her way were often served delicious sandwiches filled with a meat that
seemed to be neither chicken nor tuna fish yet was reminiscent of both. To
queries she gave no reply until each had eaten his fill. She then explained that
what they had eaten was not chicken, not tuna fish, but the rich, white flesh of
freshly killed rattlesnakes. The response was instantaneous vomiting, often
violent vomiting. A biological process is caught into a cultural web. (1968: 2526)
5. Culture is associated with social groups
Culture is shared by at least two or more people, and of course real, live
societies are always larger than that. There is, in other words, no such thing as
the culture of a hermit. If a solitary individual thinks and behaves in a certain way,
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that thought or action is idiosyncratic, not cultural. For an idea, a thing, or a
behavior to be considered cultural, it must be shared by some type of social
group or society. Ferraro (1998, p.16)
As almost everyone belongs to a number of different groups and
categories of people at the same time, people unavoidably carry several layers of
mental programming within themselves, corresponding to different levels of
culture.
For example:
a national level according to ones country (or countries for people who
migrated during their lifetime);
a regional and/or ethnic and/or religious and/or linguistic affiliation, as
most nations are composed of culturally different regions and/or ethnic
and/or religious and/or language groups;
a gender level, according to whether a person was born as a girl or as a
boy;
a generation level, which separates grandparents from parents from
children;
a role category, e.g. parent, son/daughter, teacher, student;
a social class level, associated with educational opportunities and with a
persons occpation or profession;
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for those who are employed, an organizational or corporate level according to
the way employees have been socialized by their work organization. Hofstede
(1991, p.10)
So in this sense, everyone is simultaneously a member of several different
cultural groups and thus could be said to have multicultural membership.
6. Culture is both an individual construct and a social construct
Culture is as much an individual, psychological construct as it is a social
construct. To some extent, culture exists in each and every one of us individually
as much as it exists as a global, social construct. Individual differences in culture
can be observed among people in the degree to which they adopt and engage in
the attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors that, by consensus, constitute their
culture.
7. Culture is always both socially and psychologically distributed in a group, and
so the delineation of a cultures features will always be fuzzy
Culture is a fuzzy concept, in that group members are unlikely to share
identical sets of attitudes, beliefs and so on, but rather show family
resemblances, with the result that there is no absolute set of features that can
distinguish definitively one cultural group from another.


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8. Culture has both universal (etic) and distinctive (emic) elements
Humans have largely overlapping biologies and live in fairly similar social
structures and physical environments, which create major similarities in the way
they form cultures. But within the framework of similarities there are differences.
To summarize about emics and etics, when we study cultures for their own sake,
we may well focus on emic elements, and when we compare cultures, we have
to work with the etic cultural elements. Triandis (1994,p.20)
9. Culture is learned
Culture is learned from the people you interact with as you are socialized.
Watching how adults react and talk to new babies is an excellent way to see the
actual symbolic transmission of culture among people. Two babies born at
exactly the same time in two parts of the globe may be taught to respond to
physical and social stimuli in very different ways. Culture is also taught by the
explanations people receive for the natural and human events around them.
People from different cultures would complete the blank in contrasting
ways. The people with whom the children interact will praise and encourage
particular kinds of behaviors (such as crying or not crying, being quiet or being
talkative). Certainly there are variations in what a child is taught from family to
family in any given culture. However, our interest is not in these variations but in
the similarities across most or all families that form the basis of a culture.
Because our specific interest is in the relationship between culture and
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interpersonal communication, we focus on how cultures provide their members
with a set of interpretations that they then use as filters to make sense of
messages and experiences. Lustig and Koester (1999, p.312)
10. Culture is subject to gradual change
Students of culture change recognize that cultural innovation (that is, the
introduction of new thoughts, norms, or material items) occurs as a result of both
internal and external forces. Mechanisms of change that operate within a given
culture are called discovery and invention. Despite the importance of discovery
and invention, most innovations introduced into a culture are the result of
borrowing from other cultures.
Culture prior to Heritage. Cultural Heritage is an expression of the ways of
living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation,
including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values.
Cultural Heritage is often expressed as either Intangible or Tangible Cultural
Heritage (ICOMOS, 2002).
As part of human activity, Cultural Heritage produces tangible
representations of the value systems, beliefs, traditions and lifestyles. As an
essential part of culture as a whole, Cultural Heritage, contains these visible and
tangible traces form antiquity to the recent past. Cultural Heritage is a wide
concept. We prefer to concentrate on the similarities between the various
heritages sectors, instead of on their differences.
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Cultural Heritage types
Cultural Heritage can be distinguished in:
Built Environment (Buildings, Townscapes, Archaeological remains)
Natural Environment (Rural landscapes, Coasts and
shorelines, Agricultural heritage)
Artefacts (Books & Documents, Objects, Pictures)
Driving force behind all definitions of Cultural Heritage is:
it is a human creation intended to inform according to Feather, J. (2006).








The Heritage Cycle diagram gives us an idea how we can make the past part of
our future according to Thurley, S.( 2005).
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In a clockwise direction the wedges and arrows read:
By understanding (cultural heritage)
> people value it
By valuing it
> people want to care for it
By caring for it
> it will help people enjoy it
From enjoying it
> comes a thirst to understand
Culture prior to education. Culture and Education are inseparable, as
they are simply two sides of the same coin. Every human society, whatever its
level of technical evolution devotes considerable attention to transmitting its
cultural heritage to the young. This trans-generational transmission of culture has
helped to cement human solidarity and to ensure the continued survival of
societies over the ages. Before the emergence of schools as specialized
agencies, Education took place in society, where the young and the not so young
became educated by simply living their culture.
According to Obanya (2005, p.3)s research on Culture in Education, a
culture-oriented education policy should be a cyclic process that does not draw a
sharp line of demarcation between formulation and implementation. It should also
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be one in which education for all is for all and also by all. Thus the situation
should not be one in which policy is formulated by the elite class for others. Such
a policy would include strong culture related directives as:
1. Languages of instruction, and particularly commitment to the development of
indigenous languages for use in Education.
2. Educational materials development, and particularly the development of
national authorship, printing and publishing
3. Commitment to the development of other cultural industries that can impact on
Education (film, the media, traditional medicine,music/dance, etc)
4. Mobilisation of other societal resources (cultural events and practices, crafts,
farms, work places) for enriching teaching and learning.
5. Development of school architecture and classroom environments that conform
with local climate and culture
6. School calendars that blend neatly with local work and leisure programming
7. Building of strong school-community ties
What is needed here is something that has been conspicuously missing
from the educational reforms carried out on the continent over the years. Thus,
the governments will have to take also the drastic step of moving from merely
talking Culture to promoting and projecting it. The practical implications of this
statement are that:
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1. Ministries of Culture should move from being backyard departments to being
part of the frontline, like Finance, Education, Health, Agriculture, etc.
2. Culture should become a transversal activity, guiding and featuring in all other
areas of government activity, as Cultural considerations do help to determine the
impact of specific interventions and programmes of governments
3. Governments should themselves radiate Culture by living it promoting
national culture by its practice of governance, the organisation of activities, the
design of cities and buildings, the funding of the Culture ministry, etc.
4. Government should also use Culture as a key instrument for nation building,
and of regional integration, by emphasizing those cultural traits that unite the
people and by dismantling the cultural unity barriers erected by colonialism and
its aftermaths.
As prior research indicates, cultural relevance matters because it directly
impacts student engagement, learning, and achievement. In education, efforts
have been made to include non-Western cultural traditions and knowledge and to
promote cultural awareness and tolerance for diversity in our schools and nation.
These efforts have led to the practice of teaching about cultures rather
than grounding teaching and learning within the culturally relevant framework of a
particular community. However, in response to the continuing gaps in academic
performance, many indigenous communities and educators have developed
culture-based pedagogy and strategies to improve the educational experiences
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and achievement of their children. These strategies have emerged through
decades of theorizing and research about educational disconnects between
indigenous and minority communities and Western practices. Kanaiaupuni, S.,
Ledward, B. and Jensen, U. (2010).









As cultural-based education emerges deep in the society today, it creates
an impact to the new generation students in developing their thoughts and beliefs
to help them learn better and be sociable to their community. According to the
collaborative work conducted by Dr. Varbanova, L. (2011) prior to the research
Cultural participation in education and lifelong learning: a catalyst for personal
advancement, community development, social change and economic growth,
There is a need to strengthen the relations between cultural organizations and
institutions dealing with both formal and non-formal education. Cross-
connections between culture and education open new learning methods, adapted
Proposed Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga


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to different target groups, among them children, young people, adults and
seniors.
Cultural sector has proven to answer effectively to the needs of different
learning styles of peoples and groups, especially related to using creativity and
innovation and participation as part of the learning process. Also, engaging
children and young people in innovative and interactive creative processes as
part of their formal and non-formal education is a very important way to develop
future audiences and supporters of arts and culture. This process will increase
cultural participation in a strategic framework.
Culture and Nation. In our everyday language, people commonly treat
culture and nation as equivalent terms. Although some nations are in fact
predominantly inhabited by one cultural group, most nations contain multiple
cultures within their boundaries. Nation is a political term referring to a
government and a set of formal and legal mechanisms that have been
established to regulate the political behavior of its people.
These regulations often encompass such aspects of a people as how
leaders are chosen, by what rules the leaders must govern, the laws of banking
and currency, the means to establish military groups, and the rules by which a
legal system is conducted. Foreign policies, for instance, are determined by a
nation and not by a culture. The culture, or cultures, that exist within the
boundaries of a nation-state certainly influence the regulations that a nation
develops, but the term culture is not synonymous with nation.
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Culture and Race. Race commonly refers to genetic or biologically based
similarities among people, which are distinguishable and unique and function to
mark or separate groups of people from one another. However, race is less a
biological term than a political or social one. Though racial categories are inexact
as a classification system, it is generally agreed that race is a more all-
encompassing term than either culture or nation.
Sometimes race and culture do seem to work hand in hand to create
visible and important distinctions among groups within a larger society; and
sometimes race plays a part in establishing separate cultural groups. Race can,
however, form the basis for prejudicial communication that can be a major
obstacle to intercultural communication. Categorization of people by race in the
United States, for example, has been the basis of systematic discrimination and
oppression of people of color.
Culture and Ethnicity. Ethnic group is another term often used
interchangeable with culture. Ethnicity is actually a term that is used to refer to a
wide variety of groups who might share a language, historical origins, religion,
identification with a common nation-state, or cultural system. The nature of the
relationship of a groups ethnicity to its culture will vary greatly depending on a
number of other important characteristics.
Importance of Cultural Center. Cultural Centers are defined as a multi-
complex buildings which caters different exhibitions of arts, tradition, festivities
and culture. It can be also a neighbourhood community facility for organizations
Proposed Cultural Center in Angeles City, Pampanga


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of arts and crafts, private facilities, governmental-sponsored programs and
activities and many more public development programs. The needs for a cultural
centre in a community are to have a focal in a city in which the general public and
tourist will go. Thus, nowadays, cultural centers are taken for granted and viewed
as a formal building and private-owned facility which doesnt have public
transparency. The objectives and purpose in building such facilities boils down to
the needs of the community. And also in making happen the real purpose of the
building.
Objectives in building Cultural Center. MTPDP NEDA (2004-2010)
states that culture shall be utilized as a catalyst for values formation and human
rights education, promoting a culture of peace, social justice, and sustainable
development.
Mainstream Culture and Development in plans, policies, programs, and
projects;
Institutionalize culture in education and in good governance;
Continue the implementation of programs for the promotion of culture and
artistic development;
Promote sustainable heritage conservation approaches;
Create special cultural programs in line with national peace and unification
initiatives;
Encourage the generation of jobs or livelihood from cultural tourism and
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cultural industries; and
Expand cultural exchanges and agreements with other countries.
A. Continue the implementation of programs for the promotion of culture and
artistic development
1. Support young and developing artists and contemporary and new forms of
artistic expression with emphasis on values education and good governance;
2. Sustain support for exhibits and festivals with particular focus on community-
based initiatives;
3. Provide more opportunities to enhance artists talents and make their work
available to a wider Filipino audience through school tours, coaching activities,
and participation in competitions and festivals;
4. Continue to promote recognition for outstanding Filipino artists through awards
such as the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) and the National Artists
Award; and
5. Support the study of different Philippine languages and literature.
B. Promote sustainable heritage conservation approaches
1. Conserve existing traditions, indigenous knowledge, and cultural masterpieces
through the SLTs.
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2. Implement a stronger and consistent conservation system for the UNESCO
declared World Heritage Sites and those declared as National Cultural Treasures
and Important Cultural Treasures;
3. Support the documentation and recognition of historical structures, landmarks,
monuments, sites, traditional arts, and other aspects of cultural heritage; and
4. Fasttrack and improve the integration of community-centered approaches in
existing and future conservation efforts.
C. Encourage the generation of jobs or livelihood from cultural tourism and
cultural industries
1. Support the production of traditional and contemporary crafts and products
such as weaving, pottery, musical instruments, basketry, music, films, and
performing arts. This shall be done in cooperation with the Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI) and other concerned agencies; and
2. Continue the partnership with the DOT on the development of programs
particularly in boosting local cultural tourism. The educational value of heritage
sites and special events for tourists shall be maximized through the production of
effective promotional and reference materials and training of tour guides and site
staff.
Review of Existing Cultural Centers: A new cultural complex for inspiration.
The New National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design at Vestbanen
will form a complex to house and display treasured art, an observatory that looks
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out to the Fjord, City Hall, the Akershus fortress, the Opera House and the new
Munch Museum, a rooftop botanical sculptural Sky Garden of indigenous native
species and an urban plaza terrain that blurs the boundary between the city and
the Museum, between the visitor and the Oslos vibrant inhabitants. This new
typological complex will energize the existing Landmarks, consolidating the
qualities of the open urban spaces and establish Oslo as the New Modern City.
The primary goal of this project is to redefine the current definition of the
Museum while creating a relationship with an existing city full of rich cultural
heritage. The new Museum will not only represent a permanent house to a
collection of treasure art but will also engage its city and its people. The new
Museum complex will be open to all and represent all forms of expression. The
project will fill a vital patch in Oslos urban fabric and energize a new cultural
center.
The first and most important element of the new Museum complex will be
the Plazas that extend existing outdoor urban spaces and create new ones that
all blend onto the main floor level of the Museum. This extended and undulating
landscape will blur the boundaries between the new and old buildings and
between the exterior and interior spaces. The new Entry Plaza and Heritage
Plaza are open and inviting.
As a gesture of connection between people and art, a third plaza is
created, called the Government Plaza. This plaza is also tied to the new Museum
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complex and encourages circulation and involvement with the future government
building.
In an approach to further redefine the modern Museum complex, this
project will offer elements not see in typical Museums. First will be an
Observatory. Given the prominent location and the sweeping views of City Hall,
the Mainline and Local Station Buildings, the Akershus Fortress and the Fjord, it
seems important to offer these views to people. The spectacular views are sure
to inspire the young and old. From the Observatory is connected another element
not seen in typical Museums, a Sculptural Sky Garden.
The Sculptural Sky Garden will serve as a sanctuary consisting of native
indigenous plant species to Norway and serve as a backdrop to a spectacular
sculpture park.
The goal of the new Museum complex is to inspire. Nature whether plants,
animals or minerals or the sky with its light and colors, have all served to inspire
people and art. This new complex will serve as the catalyst.
Holon Mediatheque: A Creative Cultural Center. An Exciting Cultural
Journey
Holon Mediatheque is an all-encompassing cultural hub, which consists of
the Mediatheque Theater, the Mediatheque Public Library, Holon
Cinematheque, the Israeli Cartoon Museum and Design Museum Holon.
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This magical synergy between the Mediatheques various components is a
key element in fulfilling the centers objective to impact the relationship between
culture, environment and the community.
Holon Mediatheque has gained local and international recognition for
creating and maintaining high quality, multi-disciplinary activities, and has
become a center of attraction for people of all ages from Holon and from all over
Israel.
In the coming decade, we will continue striving toward excellence through
innovative artistic programming and state-of-the-art facilities.
The Mediatheque Theater (Since 2004)
Within a few years, the Mediatheque Theater has produced over thirty
plays for children and youth (between five to six new productions every year),
many of which are based on classic Israeli and international literature, as well as
original plays that were written specially for young audiences. Within a brief time-
span, the Mediatheque Theater has attained the largest subscriber-base in the
country, and has been recognized by the Establishment.
The Mediatheque Theater, in collaboration with the annual Israel Festival
in Jerusalem, produces a major international festival for children and young
audiences. Theater companies from all over the world participate in this festival,
in a collaborative endeavor that has garnered wide artistic acclaim, and we are
looking to expand these collaborative projects.
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Holon Cinematheque (Since 2008)
Promoting love for and educating towards the art of motion pictures, Holon
Cinematheque exposes its audience to the worlds cinematic abundance, from
diverse eras and genres, in collaboration with production companies and
distributors from all over the world. While interacting with the surrounding arts
and cultures provided at the Mediatheque center, Holon Cinematheque offers a
unique experience for everyone, giving emphasis to full interaction with the
audience.
The Mediatheque Public Library (Since 2004)
Holons main public library, established in 1956, became the Mediatheque
Library when it moved to its designated new location in the Mediatheque Cultural
Center in 2004.
In a world of constant change, the library adopts new technology systems
and equipment to access information. Alongside books in Hebrew and another
seven languages, the lending section offers a wide selection of movies in DVD
format.
The Reference sections include printed documents, academic periodicals
as well as electronically stored database materials on a wide variety of subjects.
Cultural activities and events such as lectures, writing and storytelling
workshops, exhibitions and concerts, are aimed at encouraging reading and
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exposing children and adults to the vast, engaging worlds embodied in literature,
arts and music.
The Israeli Cartoon Museum (Since 2007)
A first of its kind in the country, the Israeli Cartoon Museum is the long
awaited home for cartoon artists, caricaturists and also for the tens of thousands
of comics lovers who now have a permanent platform for activity in this field.
Featuring a rich permanent collection and topical rotating exhibits touching
upon cultural, social, and political issues in Israel as well as around the world -
the museum exposes visitors to the various facets, contexts and qualities of the
art of caricature with the aim of promoting a better understanding and awareness
of the need for caricatures in society.
The City of Culture: City of Galicia
The City of Culture is a new cultural center for the Province of Galicia in
northwestern Spain. Its design evolves from the superposition of three sets of
information. First, the street plan of the medieval center of Santiago is overlaid on
a topographic map of the hillside site, which overlooks the city. Second, a
modern Cartesian grid is laid over these medieval routes. Third, through
computer modeling software, the topography of the hillside is allowed to distort
the two flat geometries, thus generating a topological surface that repositions old
and new in a simultaneous matrix never before seen.
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The original center of Santiago conforms to a figure/ground urbanism in
which buildings are figural, or solid, and the streets are residual, or void spaces.
Through this mapping operation, the project does not emerge as a curving
surface that is neither figure nor ground but both a figured ground and a figured
figure that supersede the figure-ground urbanism of the old city. Santiagos
medieval past appears not as a form of representational nostalgia but as a new
yet somehow familiar presence found in a new form.
The six buildings of the project are conceived as three pairs: the Museum
of Galicia and the International Art Center; the Center for Music and Performing
Arts and the Central Services building; and the Library of Galicia and the Galician
Archives. Visitors experiences of any given building will be affected by its
relationship to its immediate partner. The caminos, or pedestrian streets,
between the buildings also open onto a public plaza, which is bordered by the six
buildings and features landscape and water elements. The largest building is the
Performing Arts Theater, which will stand 42.5 meters high. The heights of all of
the buildings rise in gentle curves that seem to reconstruct the shape of the
hilltop with their collective rooflines, which are all clad in stone and marked with
the grids that inform the design of the site.
The Library of Galicia and Galician Archives opened their doors on
January 11, 2011, during a ceremony presided over by the Prince and Princess
of Asturias. The 17,372-square-meter Library will accommodate one million
books in open stacks, rare book archives, and storerooms on several levels. The
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14,149-square-meter Archive includes spaces for research and exhibition. Both
the Library and the Archive are clad in quartzite and feature unique curtain walls.
The museum and administration buildings are expected to open in late fall 2011.
The Getty Center
The J. Paul Getty Trust is a cultural and philanthropic institution dedicated
to critical thinking in the presentation, conservation, and interpretation of the
world's artistic legacy. Through the collective and individual work of its
constituent Programsthe Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation,
the J. Paul Getty Museum, and the Getty Research Instituteit pursues its
mission in Los Angeles and throughout the world, serving both the general
interested public and a wide range of professional communities with the
conviction that a greater and more profound sensitivity to and knowledge of the
visual arts and their many histories are crucial to the promotion of a vital and civil
society.
A unique destination, the Getty Center incorporates the modern design of
architect Richard Meier, with beautiful gardens, open spaces, and spectacular
views of Los Angeles.
Unique design elements, beautiful gardens, and open spaces. Richard
Meier's Getty Center harmoniously unites the parts of the J. Paul Getty Trust,
and makes them accessible not only to Los Angeles but to the world.
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The Getty Center sits on a hilltop in the Santa Monica Mountains, just off
the San Diego Freeway. From there, visitors can take in the disparate aspects of
Los Angeles's landscapethe Pacific Ocean, the San Gabriel Mountains, and
the vast streetgrid of the city. Inspired by the relationship between these
elements, architect Richard Meier designed the complex to highlight both nature
and culture.
When approached from the south, the modernist complex appears to grow
from the 110-acre hillside. Two computer-operated trams elevate visitors from a
street-level parking facility to the top of the hill. Clad in Italian travertine, the
campus is organized around a central arrival plaza, and offers framed panoramic
views of the city. Curvilinear design elements and natural gardens soften the grid
created by the travertine squares.
Natural Light
Natural light is one of the Getty Center's most important architectural
elements. The many exterior walls of glass allow sunshine to illuminate the
interiors. A computer-assisted system of louvers and shades adjusts the light
indoors. The paintings galleries on the Museum's upper level are all naturally lit,
with special filters to prevent damage to the artworks.
Galleries, Libraries, Offices, and Gardens
In the Museum, clear sight lines between interior and exterior spaces
allow visitors to move in and out of the 5 gallery pavilions and always know
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where they are. Exterior courtyard spaces include fountains and a variety of
trees, including Mexican Cypress, as well as the cactus garden to the south.
A circular building to the west of the Central Garden houses the Getty
Research Institute (GRI), used primarily by Getty scholars, staff, and visiting
researchers. The circular library evokes the introspective nature of scholarly
research, with book stacks and reading areas wrapping around a central
courtyard. A ramp creates concentric paths, promoting interaction among the
scholars and staff. A skylight pulls light through to the subterranean reading
room. At the plaza level, an exhibition gallery displays objects in the GRI's
collection for visitors.
Two buildings to the north and east of the Tram Arrival Plaza house the
Getty Foundation, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the J. Paul Getty Trust
administration offices. Sunken gardens, terraces, glass walls, and open floor
plans provide fluid movement between indoor and outdoor space, and views of
Los Angeles for Getty staff.
Theoretical Framework




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Synthesis
The significance of having a cultural center in the community will give the
community a breakthrough on educating the new generation about the richness
and diversity of Filipino culture and traditions. It will cater more programs, human
and promotional services that will boost up the economical factor in Angeles City,
Pampanga. Its architectural value will support and educate young, middle and
adulthood people by means of forming a community within the structure like the
objectives of the Getty Center and City of Galicia so that the proposal will be the
new core of the city. Enabling the community-centered facility in Angeles City will
not only give way for the general public to extensively use the facility as a public
property to inherit nationalism, but also it will tie up with the increase tourism as it
will serve as the landmark of Pampanga.
Research Paradigm: I.P.O. (Input-Process-Output)
The research paradigm consists of data, the input-process-output. It
tackles about the step-by-step plans and process the proponents have listed,
(eg. Ordinances, Zoning, Planning guidelines, and literary collection/study about
Angeles City, Pampanga). The proponents have jotted down the process on how
to solve the problem through thorough investigation if the proposal is feasible or
not. The output shows the materialization of the proposal that have been
processed throughout the investigation.

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Conceptual Framework
The framework deals with various theoretical orientations related with
culture nurturance such as its components on various programs focused on the
objectives being promotional, educational, diverse, community-centered and
iconic.













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Definition of Terms
1. Cultural Center- is an organization, building or complex that
promotes culture and arts.
2. CFZ- Clark Free zone
3. Urbanism- is the characteristic way of interaction of inhabitants
of towns and cities (urban areas) with the built environment or - in other
words - the character of urban life, organization, problems, etc., as well as
the study of that character (way), or of the physical needs of urban
societies, or city planning. Urbanism is also movement of the population to
the urban areas (urbanization) or its concentration in them (degree of
urbanization).
4. Topography- the arrangement of the natural and artificial physical
features of an area.
5. Mediatheque- is a place to make new film discoveries and get
reacquainted with old favourites
6. DOT- Department of Tourism
7. Sustainable- able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
8. Contemporary- living or occurring at the same time.
9. Heritage- refers to something inherited from the past.
10. Idiosyncratic- of or relating to idiosyncrasy; peculiar or individual.


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References:
ICOMOS, International Cultural Tourism Charter. Principles And
Guidelines For Managing Tourism At Places Of Cultural And Heritage
Significance. ICOMOS International Cultural Tourism Committee. 2002.
Feather,J. (2006). Managing the documentary heritage: issues for the
present and future. In: (Gorman, G.E. and Sydney J. Shep [eds.]),
Preservation management for libraries, archives and museums. London:
Facet. 2006, pp. 1-18.
MTPDP NEDA (2004-2010). Chapter 20: Culture. Manila: National
Economic and Development Authority
ONeil, D. (2006). Retrieved by February 14, 2014.
Obanya, P. (2005). Fifth conference onisters of Culture. December 10-14.
2005.
Kanaiaupuni,S., Ledward, B. and Jensen, U. (2010). Culture-Based
Education and Its Relationship to Student Outcomes.
Ferraro, G. (1998). The Cultural Dimension of International Business. 3rd
Edition. P. 16. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Hofstede, G. (1991/1994) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the
Mind. London: HarperCollinsBusiness.
Hofstede, G. (2001) Culture's Consequences. Comparing Values,
Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations. 2nd ed.
London: Sage.
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Schein, E. (1984) Coming to a new awareness of organizational culture.
Sloan Management Review 25(2): 316.
Lustig and Roester. (1999). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the
Mind. P. 31-2. London: HarperCollinsBusiness.
City of Culture. (2013). Retrived from
http://www.archdaily.com/141238/the-city-of-culture-eisenman-architects/
The Getty Center. (2013). Retrieved from
http://www.getty.edu/visit/center/architecture.html

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