A Template for Education and Tourism: Highlights from the Ateneo Cultural Laboratory, 2010-2013

• Main Author: Habana, Olivia Anne
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2017
• Subjects: Anthropology; Education; Educational Methods; Higher Education; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/history-faculty-pubs/120; https://archium.ateneo.edu/context/history-faculty-pubs/article/1119/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

Borne from a need for a more culturally sensitive manner of packaging tourism in the Philippines, the Ateneo Cultural Laboratory, conducted jointly by the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Department of History and the Program of Fine Arts of the Ateneo de Manila University, brings together academic research, education and tourism. University students, professors, cultural professionals and local communities work together to increase the tourism potential of selected areas in a way that recognizes local history, culture and traditions. The brainchild of anthropologist, writer and cultural heritage advocate Dr. Fernando Zialcita of the Ateneo De Manila’s Department of Sociology andAnthropology, the cultural laboratory aims to involve the inhabitants in the process of cultural heritage conservation, historical awareness and marketing of local products. So far, the Cultural Lab has taken place in Tayabas, Quezon (2009), Intramuros, Manila (2010), San Juan, Metro-Manila (2011), Bohol, Eastern Visayas (2012) and April, 2013 in Boracay, Aklan, Western Visayas. The course was envisioned as a practical way to teach social science concepts and methods because the students do continuous research under close supervision by faculty and other experts. In turn, the outputs of the course benefit the areas since they directly address developmental and planning needs of the communities under study. The cultural laboratory also enables students to see the connection between research and application.