By AC Putong
Recently reappointed National Committee on Historical Research (NCHR) head, Dr. Earl Jude Paul Cleope, seeks to preserve Philippine heritage through policies, proposal reviews, and projects that enhance the country’s history.
Cleope reassumed his position last Jan. 16 during the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) call for elections, marking his second stint as NCHR head since the early 2000s.
The NCHR advances historical research and scholarship nationwide, bringing together historians and researchers across the Philippines to support research initiatives, scholarly exchange, and policy recommendations for the preservation of Philippine history.
It also handles requests from local government units and institutions on history and historical writing.
Cleope explained that he will oversee projects related to Philippine history and heritage, such as the annual National Heritage and Arts Months and the National History Write Shop.
“[We] will draft proposals for the national heritage month, review proposals for funding, and anything that has to do with history that needs government support or funds will be handled by the committee,” he said.
As a returning head, he mentioned that one of his main priorities is to continue the NCCA Technical Working Group (TWG), which he helped create during his previous term.
A TWG is a team of subject-matter experts formed to provide specialized analysis, develop recommendations, and provide support to decision-making on specific policy, research, or project concerns.
“The way I [kick-started the project] was to network with the heads of different committees, not only under the subcommission that I belong to, but with the other [committees], so that there is synergy and so that government funds will not be wasted,” he said. Another project that Cleope aims to continue is the cultural mapping project, a systematic process for documenting cultural resources that supports sustained municipal development planning.
“I will continue what the previous council has started, because there are still holdover members. I will continue […] the funding cycle of the NCCA. That’s why I made the project proposal [this month],” he furthered.
Cleope currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of History and Political Science and was the former Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research at Silliman University until 2024.
He is also a former commissioner of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
