MANILA– The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) warmly welcomes its newly appointed commissioners Dr. Maria Eloisa P. De Castro, Professor Regalado Trota Jose, Dr. Francis M. Navarro, and Dr. Cecilia B. Tangian.
Dr. De Castro teaches history at the Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) and has authored and co-authored several history books, including “La Naval: Triumph of a People’s Faith,” named 2008 Best Book in History by the National Book Development Authority. She was also the sole editor of the second edition of the book “Old Manila” by National Artist Carlos Quirino. In 2019, Dr. De Castro was honored by the NCCA for her research on secondary education in the Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. She finished her master’s degree in Oriental Religions and Cultures and doctorate in Philosophy, major in history both at the UST.
Professor Jose, renowned for his expertise in cultural heritage of Philippine churches, was also the resident archivist of the UST Archives from 2010 to 2021. As a leading researcher, scholar, and educator, he played a pivotal role in modernizing the UST Archives. His acclaimed book Simbahan, won the 1992 National Book Award for the Art Category and in 1999, he was recognized with the prestigious Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial Award for the Arts. Professor Jose was also instrumental in designating 26 churches as National Cultural Treasures in 2001. He also served as a Commissioner of the NCCA representing the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage solidifying his commitment to promoting and preserving the country’s rich cultural legacy.
Dr. Navarro has a history degree from the University of the Philippines and a scholar of the Spanish government in the Universidad de Salamanca where he finished his Doctorate in Archival Studies and Documentation. He is an Assistant Professor of History at the Ateneo de Manila University and the Director of the University Archives. He also teaches at the Loyola School of Theology and is currently the President of the Philippine Historical Association. In 2018, he was awarded as the Most Outstanding Bedan in the field of Arts and Culture by San Beda College, where he took his elementary and high school education. He was part of the expert panel convened by the NHCP to decide on the historical controversy surrounding the site of the 1521 First Easter Sunday Mass in the Philippines from 2019 to 2021.
Dr. Tangian is a Professor of History at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology with a PhD from the University of the Philippines and a master’s from Xavier University, both in history. She has taken on different roles in the academe for several years since 2006 while specializing in Local, Urban, Global and Ethno-history, including Peace and Ethnicity. She has used these disciplines in her work for instruction, research, extension, and publication. Some of her books are The Urbanization of Las Piñas, Metro Manila, Philippines and The Higaonon Ethnohistory of Rogongon, Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Dr. Tangian is one of the Consultants and Panel of Examiners in the field of History & Social Sciences at the Eminent Association of Researchers in Humanities and Management Sciences (EARHM) based at Dubai, Saudi Arabia.
They were all appointed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to represent the private sector within the commission and will take their oath as NHCP commissioners on 15 May 2024 at the NHCP Building, TM Kalaw St. Ermita, Manila.
The NHCP is the national government agency mandated to promote and preserve Philippine history and heritage through its administration of national shrines, museums, research and publication, heraldry, conservation, and marking of historic sites and structures.
Refer to:
NHCP Communications Team
T.M. Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila 1000
info@nhcp.gov.ph | nhcpcommunications@gmail.com
(+632) 5335-1217 | (+63960) 328-4200