The origins of the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) can be traced to the early 1970s, when Dr. Dionisia Rola, then Dean of the UP College Iloilo, advocated for the establishment of a center dedicated to Visayan studies. In response to the need for a coordinated effort to preserve, promote, and disseminate the rich historical and cultural heritage of the region, the University of the Philippines Board of Regents approved the creation of the Visayan Studies Program (VSP) on June 26, 1975. Prof. Lourdes V. De Castro was officially designated as the Program’s first Coordinator on October 16, 1975, laying the foundation for its research and documentation initiatives. She was succeeded by Dr. Moises Ponteras, who served as Coordinator from 1981 to 1983. During these formative years, the VSP established itself as a pioneering institution for research on the history and culture of Western Visayas.
The Program achieved a major institutional milestone under the leadership of Dr. Henry Funtecha. After serving three consecutive terms as Coordinator, Funtecha successfully worked for the elevation of the VSP into the West Visayan Studies Center (WVSC), following the approval of the University of the Philippines Board of Regents during its 1016th meeting in 1988. Although elevated to a center, the WVSC remained under the College of Arts and Sciences. As its first Director, Funtecha expanded the Center’s research programs and significantly increased its collection of research materials, further strengthening its reputation as the leading institution for West Visayan studies.
To avoid confusion with the then West Visayas State College, the WVSC was renamed the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) on June 29, 1989. Since then, the Center has been led by a succession of distinguished directors who have continued to broaden its research, extension, and cultural heritage programs: Dr. Alicia P. Magos, Prof. Melanie T. Padilla, Prof. Jorge V. Ebay, Dr. Randy M. Madrid, Prof. Frances Anthea R. Redison, and Prof. Jonevee B. Amparo.
Through the years, the Center for West Visayan Studies (CWVS) has built a substantial and invaluable collection of materials and artifacts on the history and cultural heritage of Western Visayas. This rich repository is the product of the sustained scholarship and leadership of its successive directors, each of whom expanded the Center’s research agenda and strengthened its role as the region’s premier institution for historical and cultural studies. Among the Center’s pioneering initiatives were De Castro’s documentation of fishlore in Western Visayas and Ponteras’ recording of folk healing traditions and ethnomedicine practices. During his long tenure as Director, Funtecha significantly expanded the Center’s research output by securing support from international and local funding agencies for projects on West Visayan history and culture. He also mobilized scholars through the annual Conference on West Visayan History and Culture, which produced a substantial body of pioneering studies on local and oral history.
Building on these foundations, Magos brought the indigenous epics of Central Panay to wider audiences through her lifelong anthropological work with indigenous cultural communities. The fruits of these collaborations are preserved and showcased in the Indigenous Peoples Resource Center (IPRC), established at the CWVS in 2015. During Padilla’s directorship, the Center further strengthened its cultural preservation initiatives through the establishment of the CWVS Textile Museum and the Humay Museum, both of which house rare and significant collections of the region’s tangible cultural heritage.
Under Ebay’s leadership, the Center broadened its scope to include public safety, disaster resilience, and community development. In response to the national call to develop a culture of safety and resilience, particularly within the region’s small island communities ravaged by disasters, the CWVS established the Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Hub. Its Rehabilitation for Island Sustainability and Empowerment (RISE) Gigantes Project in the Gigantes Islands, Carles, Iloilo, received the 1st Gawad Pangulo Award for Excellence in Public Service in 2016, while the Disaster Risk Reduction Training, Education and Advocacy for Children’s Protection and Resilience (TEACH DRR) Project was an awardee during the 3rd Gawad Pangulo for Excellence in Public Service in 2019. During this period, the Center also expanded its engagement with indigenous cultural communities and small island communities.
The CWVS celebrated its 45th anniversary during the directorship of Madrid, a period marked by sustained efforts to strengthen the Center’s standing alongside other regional studies centers in the Philippines. A significant milestone was achieved on January 25, 2020, when the CWVS became an official member of the Kapisanan ng mga Bahay Saliksikan ng Bansa (KABANSA), further affirming its role within the national network of research centers.
The Center continued to expand its institutional reach under the directorship of Redison. During the 1385th meeting of the UP Board of Regents on November 30, 2023, the CWVS was elevated to a supra unit under the UP Visayas Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Extension, reinforcing its strategic role in advancing research, extension, and cultural initiatives. During this period, the Center also strengthened its partnerships with local government units through collaborative research projects on weaving traditions and culinary heritage, and the region-wide cultural mapping, further deepening its engagement with communities across Western Visayas.
The Center’s growing contributions soon received wider recognition. On July 12, 2024, the City Government of Iloilo honored the CWVS with a Heritage Award in recognition of its outstanding efforts in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. In May 2025, the Center became an affiliate member of the Local Historical Committees Network (LHCN), an affiliate program of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) that coordinates, supports, and promotes local historical initiatives nationwide. Later that year, on December 18, 2025, the CWVS received further distinction as one of the awardees of the 1st Gawad Balangaw, the highest regional merit and recognition conferred by the Regional Culture, Heritage, and Arts Committee (RCHAC) of the Regional Development Council VI for its significant contributions to West Visayan culture and the arts.
At present, the Center is headed by Prof. Jonevee Amparo, whose expertise in language and cultural research strengthens the Center’s research and extension initiatives. She is supported by the CWVS staff, University Research Associates Darlene Joy Calsado and Sashah Dioso, and Administrative Assistant Faith Saraza in advancing the Center’s programs and activities.
Written by Sashah B. Dioso
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