The Minister of Culture (MiCultura), Giselle González Villarrué, signed this Monday his file that lays down the candidacy for the "Building Processes of the Quincha Houses and the" Board of Plumbing "on the list of emergency safeguard of the UNESCO.

According to the incumbent of MiCultura, the signing of this file is another proof that Panama is interested in the urgent safeguard of technologies that are used in this practice and that this is the first time that Panama has been applying to this list.

To draw up the file sent to the UNESCO, a number of steps have to be followed, including consultations and interviews about this demonstration of our ancestors and rural sectors of the country.

Meetings, documentation and consultations have been held at Macaracas, Pedasi, Guaré, Las Tablas, in the province of Los Santos, at El Valle de Antón, at Coclé and at La Colorada de Santiago de Veraguas.

The head of the department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of MiCultura, Emma Gómez, explained that the process to achieve recognition by the UNESCO will delay what remains of this year with a "primary appraisal in June and the final decision will be known in December 2025.

In addition to sending this file to the list of emergency safeguard, Panama sent with Guatemala last week his "binational" candidacy to demand recognition of the manifestations associated with the devotion of the Holy Christ of Esquipulas to the list representing the Intangible Cultural Heritage of mankind.

Panama has registered four demonstrations at UNESCO, three to the Retirement List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: those that have been referred to the artisan techniques of the paint hat, the ritual and festive practices of the congo culture, and the Danzas of Corpus Christi.

In December last year, 2023, the Cultural and Ecological Tortoises Program at Armila was recognized by UNESCO as a model on the list of best practices.