A CRUSADER OF MORIONES AND GASAN CULTURE

Cultural heritage is passed down from one generation to the next, who are expected to consistently perform the same traditional acts to protect and preserve their culture.

Mrs Emerlita Sevilla is a schoolteacher but her retirement from work did not deter her from educating people about the Moriones tradition and Gasan culture.

She pioneered the setting up of the first butterfly farm in the province and placed Gasan as a landmark in the nature preservation map.

But more than this, Mam Emer strives to promote Moriones Festival and other cultural heritage of Gasan with all her effort. She has a "pasalubong" store where she sells souvenir items and mementos that carry the spirit of the Moriones Festival. She said, "it is a way of promoting this".

The most unique among the items in her pasalubong store is the wooden ref magnet, which she herself has designed. She said she has a farm where they grow trees that they cut into small tiles, then polished and hand-painted with colors and designs.

Thanks to her! Gasan needs more people like Mam Emer to further enrich and preserve the town's interesting culture.