Ricardo Favis, the man instrumental in the nomination and eventual inscription of Vigan as a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site in 1999 has passed away.
Favis died on July 29 of pancreatic cancer. He was 68.
Born in 1951, Favis grew up in his beloved hometown of Vigan, whose rich tangible and intangible heritage influenced his decision to devote his life life to work for the protection and preservation of its cultural patrimony.
Ric, as he was fondly called by friends, was so involved in the conservation programs in Vigan that he initiated and successfully published the landmark “Vigan Heritage Homeowner’s Preservation Manual” in 2010.
His expertise went beyond the Philippines as he helped steer the Regional Capacity Building Programme on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asia-Pacific of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) office in Bangkok, where he served for two decades, shuttling between Thailand and the Philippines for his heritage conservation work.
He also guided many Unesco World Heritage sites in the Philippines in their management, working closely with the Unesco National Commission of the Philippines and offering his services to cultural agencies on the promotion and dissemination of the 2003 Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage Convention.
The National Museum (NM) of the Philippines described him as a “great friend to us with his special interest in developing capacities in the Southeast Asian region to protect our underwater cultural heritage as well as Intangible Cultural Heritage, one of our country’s most fragile assets.”
In its statement, NM said Ric was “deeply committed to heritage conservation in the region” and “persistently contributed to discussions and assessments of site protection, as well as enable more heritage professionals to gain further skills and knowledge.”
His Bangkok colleague, Pa Ritta, paid tribute to Favis: “Ric will have a permanent place in [my memory] as a sincere heritage expert, a son of whom his motherland is proud, and a dear friend.”—CONTRIBUTED