GLAM Wiki Conference Philippines 2024/Report/Herbert

The GLAM Wiki Conference Philippines connects cultural heritage professionals from galleries, libraries, archives, and museums with Wikimedia communities in the Philippines to share experiences, ideas, and collaboration results on open digital resources and cultural preservation, while discussing challenges and solutions.

The recent Vigan event of the PhilWiki Community is the second GLAM Wiki Conference after its success last year which was held in Naga.

Day 1

My wife and I took a 10-hour bus ride from Manila to Vigan. We arrived at the city around 4AM so we decided to check in to our hotel and rest since the Day 1 program would formally start in the afternoon at the National Museum in Vigan. Majority of the delegation decided to visit and conduct a photo walk to some of Vigan's must-visit spots to experience and get acquainted with.

In the afternoon, after the introductions and welcome remarks from the National Museum staff, the program then commenced with Dr. Gerona's lecture on The Founding of the Villa Fernandina in Vigan. It is followed by Linguistic Hospitality: The Risk of Translating P. Payo's 1867 Ibanag-Spanish Dictionary into English by Fr. Edmundo Castañeda Jr.

After hours of very engaging and interesting discussion, the group then went on a quick visit of the exhibits of the National Museum of the Philippines-Ilocos.

Day 1 Snaps

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Day 2

The second day of the conference is entirely dedicated to information overload. After a hearty meal at Ciudad Fernandina, we kicked off the day with a series of Lighting Talks. The first one was from me and I have share my journey on the Wiki Loves Folklore platform. Here I share quick tips and information on how my passion for festival photography helped me land significant spots on the said contest. Khate Martinez's talk about Tracing Pathways in the Maligcong Rice Terraces was quite interesting. Being into trekking, having that kind of information is really important especially for tourists like us. Elmer Montejos insights on the Cebuano language is really an eye opener. Being a non-Cebuano who is very curious about Cebu, knowing more about the language and etymology would really help a lot.

After the series of Lighting Talks, Mark Casindac's Introduction to Macro Photography followed and then updates on Wiki Loves PH by Maffeth. Prior to having lunch, a series of lectures was presented by Bicol-based educational institutions.

The whole afternoon was solely dedicated to Wikisource. Irvin share a quick introduction about Wikisource Loves Manuscripts while the Architecture students of UNC has conducted a Wikisource Proofreading.

We capped the day with a quick stroll in Calle Crisologo and indulged ourselves with Vigan's finest Sinanglaw, Empanada and Longganisa.

Day 2 Snaps

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Day 3

The 3rd day was solely intended for GLAM Experience in Ilocos Norte. It was a guided tour with the participation of the Ilocos Norte Tourism.

Day 3 Snaps

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Day 4 Snaps

My wife and I decided to stay for 1 more day to experience some of the other spots in Ilocos Norte. We managed to visit the following:

• 
• 
• 
• 

Truly, this leg of the GLAM Wiki Conference is one for the books. Something that we will cherish since it has etched a lot of memories and learning. I am very overwhelmed with the outcome of the event and I am very excited for the next leg.

I am eyeing for a Visayas or a Mindanao leg since I think these regions really need an event like this. These regions hold a chest of information which aligned with our goals.

Until then!

Roles

During the conference, I carried the following roles:

• Day 1 - Documentation on the Talks at the Vigan National Museum
• Day 2 - Lighting Talk about my experience on Wiki Loves Folklore
• Day 3 - Behind the Scenes documentations