Calabanga: Retelling Heritage and History in Perspective

Oral narratives and history implicate human experience, serving as channels for cultural transmission and preserving shared memory. The Philippines’ rich oral narratives are integral to revitalizing cultural memory and transmitting communal knowledge. While the importance of retelling oral narratives is recognized, more examination has yet to be done to explore the retelling process. This research paper attempts to provide additional empirical evidence from qualitative inquiry while addressing the aim of exploring the retelling process of oral narratives about the heritage and history of Calabanga and examining the literary piece for possible staging and dissemination. Involving the marginalized voices of senior citizens as cultural bearers through interviews and focus group discussion and supplementing archives and documentary evidence as sources for the retelling process, the author thematically analyzed data to write a script on heritage and history creatively. The implication of retelling history and heritage through the script “Calabanga†has two significant impacts. Firstly, it helps preserve the history and culture of Calabanga for future generations. By capturing the town’s history and traditions engagingly and memorably, younger generations are more likely to be interested in and appreciate their heritage. Not only in formal education, the results of this research are recommended for sharing through extension among communities perpetuating cultural heritage promotion, preservation, and protection, such as the Department of Education. By engagingly presenting local history and heritage, this approach can enhance lifelong learners’ enjoyment of learning while providing them with a meaningful understanding of their community and the broader historical context of their country. This research highlights the importance of incorporating multiple sources of information and perspectives, such as oral narratives and interviews with local historians, into teaching history and cultural heritage. The approach fosters the development of critical thinking skills among students and promotes a more nuanced comprehension of historical events.