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Developing Sustainable Cultural

Tourism: The Case of Angono,
Philippines
Jofer Asilum, Marie Sapuay

Proceedings of the 5th Asia Future Conference “Sustainable Shared Growth”

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Special-Issue Cult ure-Cust oms-Tradit ions

Alecs Libre

Survey Report on t he Prot ect ion of Cult ural Herit age in Republic of t he Philippines
Rei Harada

Archit ect ure

Wo Cuole Gut ieliesi
 Developing Sustainable Cultural Tourism: The Case of Angono, Philippines

Marie Julienne Camille Sapuay, Rene Francis Dimalanta, Jofer Asilum

Graduate Students, School of Urban and Regional Planning, University of the Philippines Diliman

Abstract
Sustainable tourism challenges cities not only to promote environmental awareness to tourists, but also to
instill social and cultural consciousness. In the Philippines, results of a recent economic study conducted for
the Municipality of Angono showed that due to the prominence of arts and culture groups, establishments,
attractions and activities in the local community, the arts and culture tourism industry has the highest
potential in becoming the leading revenue generator for their local economy, especially in terms of job
creation. For the industry to be realized as a major economic thrust, the idea of an artists’ village was
introduced as part of a strategy for developing a tourism-enabling environment.
This paper elaborates on a viable conceptualization for the Angono Artists’ Village, utilizing as its central
theme the rich folklore of the local vicinity, which the artists of Angono have drawn their creative inspiration
from for generations. The most prominent features in the site concept include those for conducting economic
activities related to arts and culture, such as a museum complex, as well as those for fostering art education
activities and formal courses, such as schools and workshop areas. Noting that the Municipality of Angono is
steadily building up its reputation as an environmentally-conscious community, the various elements in the
site were designed to ensure positive impacts to the environment upon project implementation. Arts and
culture centers such as the Angono Artists’ Village can significantly impart to the general audience the
importance of the balance between the cultural and the environmental.

Keywords: sustainable tourism; cultural tourism; art tourism; folklore tourism; tourist site development

Introduction “strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the

Sustainable development, as defined by the
Brundtland Report (1987), is "development that meets
the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs".
The concept of sustainable development emerged to
resolve the issue of countries choosing either
development or environmental protection and
conservation as a higher priority by highlighting
balance among the three pillars of sustainability:
Economy, Environment and Social Community (Shah,
2008). Producers and service providers are challenged
to rethink their business practices to lessen the
long-term damage to the environment and society that
were brought upon by the focus on short-term
profiting.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
were crafted in order for countries to better address
today’s global challenges by fulfilling targets specified
under each goal. Goal 11, entitled “Sustainable Cities
and Communities”, aims to address the challenges of
rapid urbanization (United Nations, 2016), which are
challenges that developing countries, such as the
Philippines, need to deal with (Baker and Watanabe,
2017). Under Goal 11 is Target 11.4, which aims to
world’s cultural and natural heritage” (UNESCO
Institute of Statistics, 2016). In the Philippines, aside
from the locations already established as World
Heritage Sites, the Municipality of Angono has
already started working towards the preservation,
protection and conservation of its own local cultural
heritage, which the local government plans to merge
with efforts of developing their local tourism industry.
According to Sinha (2012), tourism is motivated by
the desire for pleasurable experiences outside one's
home, which can come in many forms of tourist
activities, such as leisure and recreation, visits to
friends and relatives, educational field trips, retail
therapy and others. Knowing that, the tourism industry
strives to complete the tourist experience by providing
goods and services for the convenience and pleasure
of travelers through marketing strategies, hospitality
(food, drink and accommodation) and transport. If
tourism activity will be carried out without regard to
the environment and cultural by everyone, then it can
be destructive and result in grave imbalance. A
balance must be achieved and maintained among
economic development, environmental sustainability
and socio-cultural well-being, in such a way that
tourism ultimately helps to improve the quality of life
and environment of the community.
This paper discusses the potential for sustainable
tourism in Angono, Philippines through the Sininwaga
Artists’ Village concept proposed by the authors as
part of a requirement of a Planning Workshop class 1
(Sapuay et al., 2018), drawing upon the local folklore
of the town for its overall theme and recommending
bamboo in its architecture. The name Sininwaga was
proposed for the artists’ village to carry as its official
brand, based on the Filipino words sining (art) and
hiwaga (mystery, mysticism).
Fig.1. A modified Google Maps screenshot showing the
location of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village within the Philippines
and vis-à-vis with Metro Manila on the western side.
The Municipality of Angono, located in Rizal
Province, CALABARZON Region is widely
recognized as the “Art Capital of the Philippines”, and
has held this title starting from its recognition of
cultural identity by former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (Diaz, 2018; Vocalan, 2018). It is
1
A class offered by the University of the Philippines School of
Urban and Regional Planning.
the hometown of two (2) National Artists, Carlos
“Botong” Francisco (National Artist for Visual Arts)
and Maestro Lucio San Pedro (National Artist for
Music), as well as of several other talented artists,
showing it possesses a local culture that continuously
influences its artists to hone their talents (Municipal
Government of Angono, 2016b).
According to the 2016 report on the Local +
Regional Economic Development (LRED) initiative
for Angono (Templonuevo, 2016), the municipal
government was recommended to take advantage of
the opportunity for further economic development
through prioritization of the tourism industry,
particularly Arts and Culture Tourism, as the results of
the Rapid Economic Appraisal (REA) showed tourism
as the most promising economic driver in Angono for
jobs creation and revenue generation. One of the
strategies crafted under the LRED was the
“Comprehensive Angono Artists Village and Other
Tourism Infrastructures Development” project. This is
a positive development, and accordingly the municipal
government is currently seeking ways to get this
realized.
The Sininwaga Artists’ Village Site Development
Plan was ensured to align with policies and plans
currently in place at the national, provincial and
municipal levels. As groundwork, the following
formed basis for the site development planning:
• AmBisyon Natin 2040 - Philippine
Development Plan 2016 to 2022
• National Urban Development Housing
Framework 2017-2022
• CALABARZON Regional Physical Framework
Plan 2004 to 2030
• CALABARZON Regional Development
Investment Program 2017 to 2022
• Comprehensive Land Use Plan of Angono
(2016 to 2026)
• National Tourism Development Plan 2016 to
2022
• Tourism Code of Rizal of 2014
• Medium Term Art Tourism Development Plan
of Angono 2006 to 2010
Literature Review
Mythology has been an important part of Angono
culture since precolonial times. Because the area of
Angono is part of the Tagalog ethnic region, the local
mythology of the community of Angono is connected
to Tagalog mythology (Living Language, 2014),
especially through shared geophysical elements: the
Laguna de Bay and the Angono River. Beliefs in
higher beings from another world connected to the
human world were a common factor between the
Tagalog region and the Angono locality. Most
prominent in Tagalog mythology is the creation myth
where gods Bathala (God of the Sky), Aman Sinaya
(Goddess of the Sea) and Amihan (the North Wind)
had integral roles in the formation of the first
Philippine islands and in the appearance of the first
man and woman, Malakas and Maganda, who came
out of a split bamboo tree (The Aswang Project, 2016).
Other beliefs and customs include the existence of the
anito and high respect for authority owing to the
hierarchy of beings existing in the Other World (The
Aswang Project, 2016). Disrespect to elders, and by
extension to the higher beings were believed to lead to
natural disasters sent to teach humans a lesson
(Mercado, 1974).
On the other hand, according to Tiamson-Rubin
(1992), the myth of the sirena (mermaid), ruler of her
own queendom under the waters of Laguna de Bay, is
the most important myth in Angono. Some of the
stories about the sirena were of fishermen’s boats
being moved from underwater and of children
disappearing, believed to be kidnapped by the sirena,
and only reappearing once they were reformed from
their mischievous behaviors. The sirena‘s powers
allowed her to take the form of different animals.
Other mythical creatures of Angono mythology were
the kapre, the tikbalang, the duwende and the
kabalyero. The nuno of the Balete tree, said to be the
origin of the town’s name, is another integral being in
Angono mythology who was believed to suddenly
appear in order to punish anyone who does an
immoral deed.
Insight on Angono’s mythology leads to the
conclusion of the non-dualistic nature of the
precolonial Filipinos, who used to give high respect to
other members of nature because they believed that
they themselves were also part of nature (Mercado,
1974).
Upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the Philippines
through the expedition of Ferdinand Magellan and
into the Laguna de Bay region through the
colonization efforts of Juan de Salcedo (Tan, 1997),
Angono and its neighboring communities in the lake
region were pacified and colonized, and Catholicism
was widely spread throughout the region. The status
of Angono as a visita (place with regularly visiting
priests but no permanent priest) allowed the local
community to mix their fragmented knowledge of
Catholic beliefs with their indigenous customs
(Jocano, 1967), such as was in the case of Saint
Clement. Saint Clement’s story being deeply
associated with the sea is speculated to have been
assimilated by the Spaniards to the belief of the
townspeople of a spirit protector in the form of a
sirena dwelling in their lake’s waters. Thus, the people
of Angono became accustomed to worshipping Saint
Clement in the same way that they used to worship the
sirena, as is still witnessed during the annual Feast of
Saint Clement at Angono (Tiamson-Rubin, 1992).
When Angono eventually became a pueblo
(township) due to population growth (Municipal
Government of Angono, 2016b), its emerging visitas
initiated new activities that became integrated to its
cultural scene. The most prominent cultural practice
among the emerging visitas was celebrated in
Barangay San Isidro; villagers honored the saint by
celebrating the Carabao Festival through parading
their decorated carabaos down the streets (Bumanlag,
2011; Tiamson-Rubin, 1992). The synthesis of
indigenous and Catholic cultures inspired the town’s
first recognized fine artists Juan “Tandang Juancho”
Senson and Pedro “Tandang Pedro” Piñon, who laid
the foundation for the succeeding generations of many
fine artists in the locality (Blanco, 1988).
While the showcase of religious faith either through
festivities or art has debatably positive impacts to the
country’s cultural landscape, it became advantageous
to the colonizers, who used it to silence the resistance
of the natives to the foreign ideals. These festivities
therefore became some sort of opium for the
colonized Filipinos to temporarily escape from the
atrocities that they experienced under colonial rule.
Still, these very activities also became an avenue for
Filipinos to creatively show their resistance to the
oppressive treatments that they received from the
colonizers, as was the case with the famous higantes
(papier-mâché giants) of Angono which started out as
the first political effigy in the country (Gappi, 2011).
Angono went through further political
reorganization. It was incorporated into the Province
of Rizal during the American occupation in 1901, and
was finally declared an independent municipality
through Executive Order No. 158 by the
Commonwealth of the Philippines President Manuel L.
Quezon on August 19, 1938 (Municipal Government
of Angono, 2016b).
Famous painter Fernando Amorsolo popularized the
classical style of painting rural landscapes, which
prevailed after the Second World War and Japanese
occupation in the Philippines; his pictures of the
Philippine countryside were idealized to be
representative of the “young republic’s national
identity” (Martinez, 2009). Carlos “Botong” Francisco,
now recognized as a National Artist for Visual Arts,
was one of the artists who challenged the status quo
led by Amorsolo by advocating for the modern art
movement (Angono Rizal). The movement was said to
represent “the artists’ experience of the newness of
modern life” (Wolf, 2018) in contrast to Amorsolo’s
idealized representation of rural surroundings and of
the Filipino human form. Botong Francisco’s style of
painting, shaped by the rapid changes in Angono and
the urbanization in Metropolitan Manila region during
his time (Municipal Government of Angono, 2016b),
reflected scenes in Philippine society and history
(Angono Rizal) and mythology of the Tagalog people
(Blanco, 1988). Aside from his talents, he is also
credited for his accidental discovery of the
Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs during a scouts’
field trip (Macaraig, 2014).
Former President Manuel Quezon’s order granting
Angono as a town of its own was ratified under the
Presidency of Ferdinand Marcos; it was classified as a
fifth class town and became one of the remaining
fourteen towns that compose the Province of Rizal
(Municipal Government of Angono, 2016b). Angono
becoming an independent town happened when it also
cemented itself as a cradle of excellent fine artists.
Following the footsteps and style of Botong Francisco,
several local artists, such as Vicente Reyes, Nemi
Miranda, Perdigon Vocalan and the Blanco Family
also rose to prominence (Blanco, 1988). All these
local artists were all nourished by similar
environments and therefore also shared similar
experiences. This was reflected in the similarities of
the stories that they imbibe in their paintings and other
artistic works and contributed to the prominence of
Angono as a town with a unique artistic and creative
background.
The people of Angono are also well-involved in
music, as most evident through Maestro Lucio San
Pedro, National Artist for Music (National
Commission for Culture and the Arts, 2015). His
compositions depicted his experiences as a native of
Angono as well as themes of love for family and
nation that became easily deeply rooted to the musical
ears of the Filipino populace. The colorful life in his
hometown, supplemented by the bands that played
during festivities, gave him inspiration for his music
and motivation to hone his musical skills. This further
proved that the quality of talent produced by artists
hailing from the town was a continuous collective
effort of the Angono people, brought about by their
historical struggle to become a prime hub for great
and budding artists.
With its colorful history of struggle for town
identity, Angono offers a unique kind of culture that
features a fusion of indigenous, colonial and modern
tastes in the field of arts. Frank (2017) weighs in on
the comparison between folk art and fine art. Works of
folk art are made by the common people and are
meant for the general populace to see and use. On the
other hand, works of fine art are purely aesthetic in
nature; thus, they are usually displayed in museums
and galleries isolated from the masses. The
harmonious and deeply connected relationship of
these two fields of arts in Angono makes the town an
excellent local breeding ground for potential great
artists for both folk and fine tastes.
The challenge that the town must ultimately face is
now to showcase their uniqueness to others. Despite
the informal declaration of Angono as the Art Capital
of the Philippines by former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo (Marcial), other towns and cities in
the country, which also bank on their strong cultural
backgrounds, are edging out Angono in gaining
international recognitions for such.
The town also experiences numerous environmental
challenges. Angono River and the hills of Angono
were once the center of its animist origins and
mythology’s foundations, the very subjects of its great
local artists; yet, the entrance of a large transnational
mining company affecting these natural areas was
allowed despite huge disapproval from the locals and
the non-support of the recent local authorities
(Valencia, 2017).
Evidently, the town has morphed its identity many
times as history progressed to be able to achieve its
emergence as a town rich in artistry as it is now. It
commenced with precolonial beliefs as deeply
inscribed in its folklore. Then, its native mentality was
altered by a colonial force that integrated a new
religious system which, until now, is reflected in the
people’s behavior and values. Parallel with
urbanization, the artistic trend shifted its focus to a
more urban setting that continues up contemporary
times. And to capture the entire evolution of art and
culture in Angono, the Sininwaga concept manifested
itself quite naturally.
Methodology
It was stated in the Angono Comprehensive
Development Plan (CDP) (2016a), the Angono
Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) (2016b) and
the LRED report that Angono aims to upgrade its
status into a world-class premier destination for arts
and culture tourism, an endeavor projected to be a
viable and promising economic driver. The CLUP
describes the aspired vision of an “Angonopolis” as
(1) Angono utilizing artworks as tangible evidence
which the town is known for; and (2) promoting urban
development and maintaining the balance of nature.
These documents, along with various literature on
Angono's history and culture were deeply scrutinized
and analyzed, for the purpose of extracting the
foundations of the town’s visions for the future. With
all these in consideration, the artists’ village concept
was proposed to be made an avenue and venue for
sustainable tourism through balancing responsible
tourist activities and commercial practices with the
promotion of the town’s cultural identity to a wider
audience and ensuring of positive environmental
impacts throughout site development and operation.
The following objectives were crafted for the
creation of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village Site
Development Plan:
a) To systematically assess the current abstract
and concrete elements necessary for the
conceptualization of the Sininwaga Artists’
Village; and
b) To recommend development strategies for the
site, visualized in an Illustrative Master Plan.
The study conducted prior to the formulation of the
plan utilized the following methodology.
Data and information were gathered about the
current condition of the proposed site of the
Sininwaga Artists’ Village, as introduced by the
Municipal Government of Angono and verified by the
Provincial Government of Rizal. The economic
context was extracted from the LRED report.
Environmental and infrastructure features, as well as
land use, were inspected during site visits. All data
gathered firsthand during the site inspection period
were of qualitative nature, as the quantitative data and
results provided by the LRED report were timely and
relevant enough to be used for further analysis in the
study.
The SWOT analysis technique was utilized in order
to process the qualitative data gathered. The generated
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were
further processed through S-T (Strengths-Threats -
using internal strengths to avoid external threats) and
W-O (Weaknesses-Opportunities - improving internal
weaknesses by using external opportunities) pairings,
resulting in analysis on what strengths and
opportunities can match the anticipated threats and
perceived weaknesses of the site as a potential tourist
attraction.
Based on the strategies generated from the SWOT
analysis, the plan was formulated, first through the
creation of a bubble plan until it was refined into what
is now the Illustrative Master Plan of the Sininwaga
Artists’ Village.
Data Gathering
Primary and secondary researches on the proposed
site location of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village were
conducted, and data and information were collected
from both the Municipal Government of Angono and
the Provincial Government of Rizal. Economic
context, environment, infrastructure and land use were
analyzed prior to the formulation of the site
development plan.
A. Economic Context
Data and information were drawn from the LRED
report regarding the economic context of Angono. A
Rapid Economic Appraisal (REA) was conducted
among a sample of sixty (60) correspondents2. Results
of the REA showed that the tourism industry,
particularly Arts and Culture Tourism, was seen by
majority of the correspondents as the most promising
economic driver in Angono for jobs creation, followed
by Infrastructure and Business Processes Outsourcing.
The Creatives Industry was seen to be a vital industry
that undergirds the foregoing top three (3) economic
drivers.
Furthermore, art- and culture-based products and
events were the most prominent among Angono’s
Promising Innovative Product Clusters, such as art
events/performances, souvenir/gift items, art works,
house/office interior sashwork pieces, cultural events
and ecotourism/adventure sports.
According to the conclusions drawn from the REA,
promoting and supporting the development of
Angono’s Art and Culture Tourism Industry, coupled
with the Creatives Industry, must be prioritized for the
2
Composed of a selection of stakeholders including business
group representatives, individual business owners, and various
resource persons from the local government, civil society
organizations (CSOs), the academe and from religious
institutions.
said industries to become the leading revenue
generators for the local economy.
B. Environment
The proposed site of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village
is a 32,361 square meter (3.2 hectares) raw, steeply
inclined land located along Colonel Guido Road in
Barangay San Roque, Angono, Rizal. It is located near
the Unamonte Mountain Resort, before the Angono
gate of Eastridge Subdivision. The lot is under the
ownership of the Provincial Government of Rizal but
has been identified as reserved for institutional land
use in the Proposed Urban Land Use Map found in the
CLUP.
The following observations of the environment of
the site were made during a series of site visits and
cross-checked with information found in the CLUP
and the Rizal Provincial Ecological Profile (Provincial
Government of Rizal, 2017).
The site is situated on rolling terrain, in the area of
Angono where the soil is predominantly Antipolo Clay.
The north wing of the site is generally steeper than the
south wing. Typical hillside vegetation was found on
the site, with hardwood and fruit-bearing trees, some
confirmed to be deliberately planted by residents
living near the area. No indication of wild fauna
unique to the site had been determined throughout the
site inspection period. The climate at the site is no
different from the general climate in the western
lowlands and highlands of Rizal Province. It is
understood that precipitation may have an impact
especially on the steeper slopes.
Regarding impacts of pollution to the site, one
pollution threat determined was air pollution from
motorized vehicles that traverse Colonel Guido Road
from the downtown in the west going uphill towards
the direction of the site. Land pollution in the form of
unsegregated solid waste was observed to be minimal
but not completely absent. There is also a potential
pollution threat by the operations carried out in the
surrounding mining areas.
On natural hazards, the area where the site is
located in is classified as having High Landslide
Susceptibility. Slope-related risk mitigation measures
are important in order to reduce adverse effects of
development to the site.
C. Infrastructure
Accessibility to the site is possible via major roads
from the eastern part of Metro Manila and western
part of Rizal Province northwest of the site, from the
southern part of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon
via the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and C-6
highway southwest of the site, from Binangonan south
of the site, and from Antipolo City north of the site.
A variety of modes of transportation to the site can
be utilized, with travel via private vehicle such as by
car, van or motorcycle seen as more convenient
options of transportation, although public
transportation via tricycle and non-motorized modes
of transportation are also possible. The winding roads
near the site deem the area as highly accident-prone;
as such, appropriate road fixtures are set up for the
safety of travelers.
Telecommunication services at the site by various
telecommunication service providers may be
collectively rated from poor to moderate quality of
service, with Internet access via mobile data
connection having the poorest service, if at all.
The location of Unamonte Mountain Resort
adjacent to the site shows evidence that power and
water utilities at the area can be easily tapped upon
development of the site.
It was observed during the site inspection period
that there is an existing drainage system in the area.
However, some parts of the drainage system were seen
to be poorly maintained.
D. Land Use
It was found during assessment of the site that most
developments nearby are located on flat ground,
regardless of elevation. Most developments are
concentrated within proximity of the town proper of
Angono, which means that most residential,
institutional and commercial establishments are
located there. There are significantly few recreational
establishments; some of the more prominent
recreational and leisurely establishments, such as
resorts, are located in the highlands of Angono.
Analysis
A SWOT analysis was conducted in order to better
determine how to formulate strategies for site
development. The following strategies resulted from
the matching of innate strengths and opportunities for
improvement of Angono and its local government to
the anticipated threats and perceived weaknesses of
the site as a potential tourist attraction:
• Angono’s gained identity as Art Capital of the
Philippines and its accessibility from Metro
Manila, Southern Luzon and immediate
neighboring towns and cities in Rizal Province
are established strengths of the site. These can be
starting points for building up the visibility of the
Sininwaga Artists’ Village to outsiders, so that it
will become more popular as a tourist destination
not only in Rizal Province, but also in the
entirety of the Philippines.
• Political will in protecting the environment has
started becoming evident in the beautified
surroundings of the well-maintained Angono
Lakeside Eco-park, while also incorporating
subjects of local folklore in art form such as the
sirena sculpture in the middle of the eco-park.
This quality of political will should be furthered
throughout future developments in the
municipality. It may be relied upon to lessen the
impacts of mining activities on the development
of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village, as both are
located on the hillside areas.
• It is clearly stated in the CLUP that the general
area of the site is reserved by the Municipal
Government of Angono for future development
into an artists’ village. Furthermore, it was also
clarified with the Provincial Government of
Rizal, the legal owner of the lot, that there are
currently no immediate plans for its development
in the provincial plans.
• Because the site is located uphill and on steeply
sloped ground, activities such as sunset viewing
and any night events to be held at the natural
slopes (envisioned to be made into an outdoor
amphitheater) are anticipated for the site.
• Due to the growing trend in the era of
smartphones, mobile data and tech-savvy people
with a love for travel, most notably from the
young millennial and Gen Z generations,
isolation of an attractive tourist destination
proves to be less of a challenge in this current
age.
• Enhancements to the natural scenery, especially
nature-based slope protection measures, are
recommended, as the site is classified as having
High Landslide Susceptibility.
The Sininwaga Artists’ Village
The Site Development Plan for the Sininwaga
Artists’ Village was crafted as a response to the
current need of the Municipality of Angono to
improve infrastructure and services in the tourism
industry and to promote local culture and heritage.
The site development plan focuses on the strategic
design concept of the Sininwsga Artists’ Village. A
more thorough study on the architectural urban design
of all the buildings and facilities in the complex is
required to be able to better address the more specific
needs of the artists’ village.
Table 1. Sininwaga Artists’ Village Site Development
Schedule
Legend Building
1 Reception hall
2 Administrative building
3 Museum
4 School
5 Workshop building
6 Restaurant
7 Retail shop
8 Activity ground (Activity center)
9 Conference center
10 Specialized school
11 Dormitories
12 Mess Hall
13 Front compound parking
14 School and Dormitory parking
15 Rear parking
16 Protective and Recreational grounds

Fig.2. The Illustrative Master Plan of the Sininwaga Artists’
Village.
Cultural Sustainability
The mythological concepts and precolonial values
that were once cultivated in the locality of Angono
and fused with colonial-era Catholic beliefs and
modern tastes inspired generations of artists in
Angono to produce their creative works. This cultural
identity will be promoted to the visitors and tourists of
Angono through the Sininwaga Artists’ Village.
An artists’ village, taken literally based on
definitions by Cho (1996), may be defined as a
sanctuary of like-minded artistic individuals where its
members can freely share ideas and skills, to enhance
each other’s creativity and craftsmanship and produce
works of art that add cultural value to the society
at-large where it is part of. This implies that it must be
a relatively isolated place that breeds and grows artists.
The entire town center of Angono, on the other hand,
already fits the definition of an art district, as among
its cultural institutions are the art studios and personal
and family museums of Angono’s most prominent
artists, open to the public for viewing (Vocalan, 2018).
In order to compromise between these definitions
and situations, along with the proposal that the
Angono Artists’ Village be constructed to aid in local
economic development, the artists’ village concept
was redefined to incorporate features of a theme park:
it will be a sanctuary for artists where visitors, charged
for a single pay-one-price admission, are still allowed
to go to and tour around but only during designated
times and in designated areas (Raluca and Gina, 2008).
It will adopt as its theme a synthesis of Angono’s
folklore, history, values and culture, condensed in the
form of an interactive story. The story created for the
Sininwaga Artists’ Village, entitled “Si Ulay at Ang
Kanyang Paglalakbay sa Mundong Makulay”, is set in
the mysterious world of spirits called Sininwaga, so
named after the brand that the team has chosen for the
artists’ village. It follows the protagonist, a
ten-year-old girl named Ulay, and her adventures as
she crosses the threshold between her world and
Sininwaga.
Economic Sustainability
According to the LRED Secretariat (Maniaol, 2018),
the artists’ village should have facilities for economic
activities such as an arts and crafts market,
performance venue, workshop areas where tourists
can experience art and craft-making and an exhibition
center/gallery. Furthermore, Blanco (2018) shared that
there is a need for an art center for teaching higher
educational levels of art. In response, the site
development plan was formulated to include areas
such as a museum complex, retail shop for arts and
crafts, activity center, schools and workshop areas.
The Sininwaga Artists’ Village will be facilitated by
professionals of folk arts, fine arts, visual arts,
performing arts and crafts. Such professionals to be
employed are preferred to be residents of Angono.
These professionals will contribute to the artists’
villages as teachers of their respective arts and crafts,
producers of creative works, performers or through
any other roles with activities requiring the use of
artistic talents. Arts and crafts materials to be used in
the production of creative works and props are highly
encouraged to be organic and/or reusable so that any
negative impacts to the environment will be
minimized. Table 2 gives a sample of
art-/culture-based products and events that can be
expected at the artists’ village, based on inputs from
the LRED report.
Table 2. Selection of Art-/Culture-based Products and
Events
Art-/Culture-based Examples
Products and Events
Art Events/ Stage plays, painting competitions,
Performances painting exhibits, independent short
film festivals/ competitions, concerts
of the bands, poetry writing
competitions/ reading sessions,
musical recitals, dance competitions,
fashion shows, concerts from
national and international artists.
Souvenir/Gift Items Angono printed/ hand-painted
T-shirts, painted/carved candles,
fashion jewelries, handmade
paper/products from water lily,
Angono folklore-inspired souvenir
items, Angono postcards, higantes
toys.
Art Works Paintings, sculptures.
Crafts Ceramics, candles, textiles, clothing,
organic produce, carpentry and
construction.
 the proposed concept for the Sininwaga Artists’
Revenue from the Sininwaga Artists’ Village is Village will be the ‘Bahay-Kubo’.
firstly generated through admission fees, as the artists’ The traditional Bahay-Kubo consists of at least
village is set to operate as a theme park. Other revenue around 95%-100% bamboo and 5% hardwood (only
generation strategies include the selling of arts and used as pegs); the non-traditional Bahay-Kubo, on the
crafts products, package tours, special membership for other hand, consists of around 80-90% bamboo and
patrons of the artists’ village, workshop fees and 10-20% hardwood (commonly used in pillars,
tuition fees from regular students of the art schools. columns, and staircases).
Other contributors may include concessionaires The Bahay-Kubo is one of the most sustainable
leasing space for economic activities. architectures in the world. There are many things that
Environmental Sustainability can be learned from it, such as the following: (1) it
A. Natural Environment can be assembled and disassembled at any time; (2)
As seen during the previous site inspections, the site natural air or breeze can easily enter from under its
for the proposed Sininwaga Artists’ Village and its floor joist, pushing the hot and humid air up and out;
neighboring lots hosts a large area of vegetation. Most (3) since it is built on stilts, it is safe from pests
of the plants currently living in the site are a mix of (animals such as rodents) and theft; (4) it does not use
wild and cultivated plants composed of hardwood and metal nails or any metal material joinery methods, but
fruit-bearing trees. Some of the vegetation were rather uses pegs and ropes as joinery method, and thus,
confirmed to be deliberately planted by residents has a structural property that is proof or resistant to
living near the site. earthquakes and strong winds; and (5) its flexible
This implies that there is a viable natural source of design allows easy modification (Wagemann, Gatóo
water for irrigation and that a wide variety of plants and Ramage, 2014).
can be further cultivated in this area. That said, the
area is a fitting place for planting bamboo species
native to Rizal Province. Because most residents
living in the area were observed to have experience in
planting trees and plants, there is an opportunity to
teach them how to plant bamboo. The bamboo is one
of most sustainable and environmental plants which
can protect the soil against erosion, similar to the
Philippine Redwood tree, or Narra (Aya and Torreta,
2017).
B. Built Environment
a. Infrastructure
According to the World Bank (2013), the
Philippines is among the list of developing countries,
meaning that the nation is still economically
dependent to developed countries. Developing Fig.3. Traditional design of a bahay-kubo (Turtle Hand, 2012).
countries generally lack infrastructures for its
economic growth. But this disadvantage could also be
re-angled as an advantage because this presents an
opportunity to further develop and enhance how
current infrastructures are built by adapting green
building techniques. Thus, the chances of committing
errors in the building and designing of infrastructures
will be lessened. This is the struggle that most
developed countries currently experience regarding
their present infrastructures. The only clear way to
produce sustainable infrastructure is through
“knowledge and experience transfer” in terms of
designing, planning and building of infrastructures
(Montgomery, 2015).
b. Architectural Aspects (Urban Design)
One of the best representations in the creation of the Fig.4. Contemporary design of a bahay-kubo (Delgado
conceptual architectural design for the proposed Enterprises, 2015).
Sininwaga Artists’ Village will be an architecture that
will represent the rich and colorful history of Angono, The quick maturation period of bamboo implies that
Based on the local folklore, bamboo plays a bamboo out-produces hardwood. It is the best
significant role in the culture of Angono. Therefore, alternative construction material predominantly in
countries which have native bamboo in their
ecosystem. At the same time, bamboo has the same
structural strength of hardwood; it is flexible and
malleable just like steel.
All buildings inside the Sininwaga Artists’ Village
will not need any cooling mechanics such as air
conditioners, as the structures themselves will be
breathable. Because its walls will be made of organic
materials, it will not store heat, unlike concrete, which
gathers all the heat throughout the daytime and
disperse the heat at night.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Sustainable tourism challenges producers and
service providers in the tourism industry to generate
tourism practices that are not only geared towards
obtaining profit, but also towards preservation of local
cultural heritage, improvement of quality of life and
protection of the environment.
The Municipal Government of Angono plans to
develop the town into an “Angonopolis”. The
Sininwaga Artists’ Village Site Development Plan was
created to aid the local government in attaining this
vision, as well as to improve infrastructure and
services in the Arts and Culture Tourism industry by
providing places to showcase art, spaces for marketing
creative works and job opportunities for professionals
of arts and crafts. The Sininwaga Artists’ Village was
conceptualized to be a novel and innovative tourist
attraction, to be showcased to the national and
international audience as a site of sustainable cultural
tourism. It will present and promote, in the form of an
interactive story, the synthesis of Angono’s folklore,
history, values and culture as its overall theme and be
developed using bamboo architecture.
Several recommendations were cited to
complement the formulated site development plan and
were deemed integral to the success of the Sininwaga
Artists’ Village:
• The Sininwaga Artists’ Village must be
marketed as distinct from the cultural
institutions and attractions in the town proper,
which shall be called the Angono Art District. It
can be promoted as an educational venue and
recommended to various schools as part of a
Lakbay-Aral package for students in the
CALABARZON region (Region IV-A).
• Shuttles are the recommended mode of
transport to and from the artists’ village to
minimize negative impacts from traffic due to
use of private vehicles. Bicycle rentals may
also be considered. Sufficient signages leading
to the Sininwaga Artists’ Village are important
for motorists who are not yet familiar with the
route leading to the site and are visiting for the
first time.
• As Internet technology has evolved to provide
effective marketing platforms to a wider reach
of people, bloggers and social influencers can
be tapped to aid in promoting the Sininwaga
Artists’ Village. Traditional media outlets may
also be tapped for promoting to the less
tech-savvy.
• On the legal and financial side, the Municipal
Government of Angono must sufficiently
coordinate with the Provincial Government of
Rizal on the co-management of the tourist
attraction, as well as determine their
arrangements in terms of the revenue to be
generated. With regards to funding, various
schemes are possible; the LGUs may decide to
involve national government agencies and the
private sector to minimize the capital outlay
that will be required from their respective
funds.
• A feasibility study is required before the
implementation strategy can be fully developed.
This includes further research on the
environment and the local wildlife at the site,
verifying the true boundaries of the site, the
viability of sustainable materials (especially
bamboo) to help the site generate a net positive
impact to the environment during its daily
operations, a transport study taking into
account the planned developments in public
transportation and road infrastructure at the
national, regional and provincial levels relevant
to the site and a more detailed market study,
among others.
• The realization of the Sininwaga Artists’
Village will require the active participation of
the public and private sector. The Municipal
Government of Angono and the Provincial
Government of Rizal must work together with
the local community, particularly the Angono
artist community, artist foundations and
business establishments that can benefit from
the realization of the Sininwaga Artists’ Village.
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