The colonial experiences of the Philippines have greatly influenced the preservation of the nation’s literary cultural heritage and built cultural heritage. Apparently, colonial experience has defined how heritage is treated and conserved. The colonial legacy has set a precedent that destroys the old practices, ways of life, structures and edifices to favor the creation of a new set of world order, thus setting a culture of neglect and disregard for cultural heritage conservation. Apparently, the politics of memory and the quest for a new identity has influenced how heritage conservation is defined and perceived. From the time before the Philippines was discovered by the Europeans and the way the nation was passed on from one colonizer to another, minimal sense of heritage conservation was developed. The perception that anything related to the historical past is a sign of antiquity and underdevelopment has comprised the way present communities perceive development. Henceforth, cultural heritages are given the least importance unless its relationship with economic activities has been clearly established. This study connects the implications of the Philippines’ rich colonial experience to approaches of heritage conservation in the country and in the end presents a way of how to possibly reverse some of its impact. The study presents an exploratory and descriptive approach using case studies of heritage districts in the Philippines that illustrate how can a practice of cultural neglect be converted to culture of concern and conservation through the development of creative industry and culture capital.
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