Renowned historian, Prof. Xiao Chua, emphasized the important connection between heritage and public history during a session of Grupo Kalinangan’s Pamana Talks for the National Heritage Month on May 8, 2020.

During the online session, he argued that it is through public history that the masses become more aware of the narratives of their past, and therefore, they are able to appreciate the relevance and importance of preserving their heritage.

Prof. Chua explained further that public history is the practice of bringing history closer to the people through various means such as mass media, social media, comics and children’s books, arts, cinema, museums, maps, and events, among others. This is different from the more technical and more specialized academic history, in which historians do technical research to deepen their knowledge of theories and concepts.

More specifically, Prof. Chua defined public history or kasaysayang pangmadla as relevant and meaningful narratives of the past that are told to the wider masses using a language that is understandable to all, while still considering the accuracy of data and evidences.

To view the recording of this Pamana Talks session, click here.