Events > 40th National Conference on Local and National History

The 40th National Conference on Local and National History of the Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) will be held on October 24-26, 2019, at the NM Auditorium, National Museum of the Philippines, Old Congress Building, Ermita, Manila. The conference is co-sponsored with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts – Committee on Historical Research (NCCA-CHR), the National Museum of the Philippines, and the Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC).

The Philippine National Historical Society (PNHS) is the oldest professional organization of historians and practitioners of history in the Philippine, established on February 2, 1941, with the mission to “encourage and undertake the study of Philippine history.” PNHS conferences and publications have presented researches on national history and local/regional histories that have reflected the diversity of Philippine society and culture.

This year’s conference theme is “History, Culture, Heritage” to be convened at the National Museum of the Philippines (Pambansang Museo), “primary keeper of Filipino heritage.” Scholars will present studies and methodologies on tangible and intangible cultural heritage from four cultural heritages – Asian, European, Mexican, and American – reflecting the complex history of the Philippines, using indigenous knowledge systems/practices and documentary heritage that would give coherence to the “collective destinies and splendid variety” of Philippine history and culture.

Being the foremost proponent of local history since the PNHS first convened its annual conference in 1978, the PNHS Conferences have featured local histories of provinces and indigenous cultural communities that would contribute to relevant national narratives. The Conference hopes to look at neglected areas of historical research and provide vibrant exchanges from interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary perspectives. Selected papers presented at PNHS Conferences are reviewed for publication in the Journal of History, first published in July 1941.

The conference sharing fee is PHP 3,500.00 inclusive of a conference kit – a book of abstracts and program, CD containing conference papers, complimentary PNHS publication, lunch and morning and afternoon snacks for the two days of the Conference (October 24-25). The registration fee for enrolled undergraduate students (with valid school ID) is PHP 1,500.00, inclusive of all the handouts given to regular participants. The registration fee is discounted to PHP 3,150.00 for PNHS members. Circulars for individuals and institutions can be downloaded here.

Each participant will have to make his/her own arrangements for accommodations, travel, breakfasts, and dinners. Philippine Normal University Hostel (Tel. No. (02) 317-1768 local 773/531) provides affordable accommodations and is perhaps the closest to the National Museum. There are several budget hotels along Taft Avenue and the Ermita area that may be contacted/booked online. On October 26 (Saturday), there will be a guided tour of the three buildings of the National Museum – National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, and National Museum of Natural History.