LAMUT, Ifugao (PIA) –The Ifugao State University (IFSU), through its Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Center, has developed a mobile application to help the youth appreciate Ifugao’s cultural tangible materials.
GIAHS Center Director Judy Baggo described the project as an innovative way to reintroduce Ifugao’s cultural artifacts to young people.
The mobile app digitizes five cultural artifacts in 3-D mode: the hapiyo (shield), hagabi (prestige bench), lal-u ya luhung (mortar and pestle), pahul (shield), and bale (native house).
Software developers Drigo C. Gano and Lawton D. Liangna explained that AR [augmented reality ] technology enhances the real world by overlaying digital content such as images, sounds, or animations, which users can interact with through devices like smartphones and tablets.
The app uses markers or QR codes to bring these cultural artifacts to life, allowing users to explore them interactively.
This AR initiative titled “E
xploring Metaverse: Creating Preferred Futures for Heritage Conservation,” was funded by the National Economic and Development Authority.
It was implemented in partnership with local youth, Sangguniang Kabataan representatives, Indigenous Knowledge holders, and Indigenous Peoples’ Mandatory Representatives, and other local stakeholders from the four Ifugao heritage sites, namely; Kiangan, Hingyon, Banaue, and Hungduan.
The GIAHS Center is currently working on the copyright and patent applications before officially deploying the app to IFSU and the heritage areas in the province. Markers and QR codes will be installed at key locations to facilitate access.
“We need to bring back these augmented reality outputs to our people,” emphasized Baggo, highlighting the importance of reconnecting communities with their cultural heritage through modern technology. (JDP/FBR-PIA Ifugao with IFSU)
