Join Wikimedia Commons contributors, photographers, Wiki Loves Philippines participants, and open knowledge advocates in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, from April 16–18, 2027.
What we capture today can become the legacy we preserve for tomorrow.
Like the Palaw’an women, Wikimedians can help strengthen the collective effort to preserve and share Philippine knowledge. They are vital cultural keepers, artisans, farmers, and community leaders within the indigenous communities of Palawan, Philippines. (Banner photo by Filipinayzd, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Scholarship applications for the WikiCommons PH Conference 2027 are now open, inviting members of the Wikimedia community to come together in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, from April 16 to 18, 2027.
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the Philippines is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. (Photo by Micluna, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Organized by PhilWiki Community, the conference will bring together Wikimedia Commons contributors, Wiki Loves Philippines campaign winners and participants, photographers, and advocates of free and open knowledge from across the Philippines.
The conference carries the theme “From Lens to Legacy,” highlighting the power of photographs and multimedia to preserve collective memory and transform today’s documentation into tomorrow’s heritage.
Our Theme: From Lens to Legacy
A photograph can be more than an image.
It can preserve a moment in history, record a language, document a cultural practice, capture a landscape, tell the story of a community, or provide evidence of the biodiversity and environment that surround us.
Ashy-fronted Bulbul (Pycnonotus cinereifrons) is endemic to Palawan, commonly found in forest edges and secondary growth, feeding on fruits and insects. (Photo by Micluna, CC BY-SA 4.0)
The theme “From Lens to Legacy” reflects this enduring role of Wikimedia Commons and the people who contribute to it. As Philippine WikiConference director Bernadette Roco explains, images captured through the lens, and the knowledge gained through the conference, can become part of a legacy encompassing history, language, culture, memory, the environment, biodiversity, and the many resources preserved in Wikimedia repositories. That legacy can then be shared locally and globally.
WikiCommons PH Con 2027 seeks to explore how contributors can move beyond simply taking photographs and uploading files toward documenting, preserving, contextualizing, and making Philippine heritage accessible to future generations.
Apply for a scholarship
The scholarship program aims to make participation in WikiCommons PH Con 2027 more accessible to members of the Wikimedia community who may otherwise face financial barriers to attending the conference.
We encourage Wikimedia contributors, photographers, Wiki Loves Philippines participants, community organizers, educators, researchers, and open knowledge advocates to apply.
Applicants are invited to share their Wikimedia journey, contributions, community involvement, and how participating in WikiCommons PH Con 2027 can help them further contribute to the movement.
Whether you have been documenting local heritage for years or are beginning your journey as a Wikimedia Commons contributor, your perspective can help strengthen the collective effort to preserve and share Philippine knowledge.
Application period: September 1–December 15, 2026
Announcement of accepted participants: December 30, 2026
[Scholarship Application Form]
The inaugural WikiCommons Philippines Conference with the theme “Preserving Our Heritage: Safeguarding Digital Assets Through Wikimedia” was held on December 17-19, 2023, at Avenue Plaza Hotel, in Naga City. Photo by Alvin Casitas (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Why “From Lens to Legacy”?
The Philippines possesses an extraordinary wealth of cultural and natural heritage. Yet much of this heritage remains undocumented, underrepresented, or inaccessible online.
WikiCommons PH Con 2027 seeks to help change this by bringing together people who can see, document, preserve, and share the stories of the Philippines.
The conference will explore how photographs and multimedia can contribute to:
- Preserving history by documenting places, events, people, and objects;
- Celebrating languages and cultures by recording traditions, practices, and community life;
- Safeguarding collective memory by making local stories and experiences accessible;
- Documenting biodiversity and the environment through photographs and multimedia;
- Strengthening Wikimedia Commons as a repository of freely accessible knowledge; and
- Connecting local stories with the world by making Philippine knowledge available through Wikimedia projects.
In this way, the conference’s theme is both a reflection on what Wikimedia contributors have already accomplished and a call to action for what they can preserve for generations to come.
The Tabon Caves is a cave system located in Lipuun Point, Panitian, Quezon, Palawan in the Philippines. Dubbed as the country’s “cradle of civilization”, it is a site of archaeological importance due to the number of jar burials and prehistoric human remains found starting from the 1960s, most notably the Tabon Man. (Photo by Jimaggro, CC BY-SA 4.0)
A conference for collaboration and learning
As one of PhilWiki Community’s flagship initiatives, the Philippine WikiConference provides a venue for community engagement, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and partnership development. It brings together volunteers, cultural institutions, educators, photographers, researchers, heritage advocates, and other partners working toward the advancement of free and open knowledge.
WikiCommons PH Con 2027 is expected to feature strategy sessions, workshops, panel discussions, and cultural and nature tours. These activities will explore ways of documenting the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage, biodiversity, and environmental resources through Wikimedia Commons and other Wikimedia projects.
For participants, this means an opportunity not only to learn new skills but also to meet people who share a common commitment to documenting and preserving knowledge.
The Palaw’an people is an indigenous group in Palawan, known for their deep spiritual connection to the forest and mountains. They are divided into four subgroups and were originally from the interior regions of south Palawan. (Photo by Herbertkikoy, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Taking the conference to Puerto Princesa City
Puerto Princesa City provides a meaningful setting for a conference centered on documentation, heritage, and the environment.
By bringing WikiCommons PH Con to Palawan, PhilWiki Community continues its practice of rotating conference venues across different regions of the country. This approach helps engage local communities, showcase regional heritage and culture, and broaden participation in Wikimedia projects.
Hosting the conference in Puerto Princesa City also underscores the importance of documenting one of the Philippines’ significant cultural and ecological destinations and recognizing the contributions of communities outside the country’s major urban centers.
Be part of the legacy
The photographs we take today may become historical records tomorrow.
The stories we document today may become the memories future generations inherit.
The knowledge we contribute today may help someone, somewhere, understand the Philippines years from now.
From Lens to Legacy is therefore more than a conference theme. It is an invitation to think about what we choose to document, what we choose to preserve, and what we choose to share with the world.
If you are a Wikimedia contributor, photographer, Wiki Loves Philippines participant, educator, researcher, heritage advocate, or open knowledge enthusiast, consider applying for a scholarship and becoming part of this growing community.
Save the date! Bring your lens. Share your knowledge. Help preserve the stories of the Philippines.
From Lens to Legacy. See you in Puerto Princesa City!
The inaugural WikiCommons Philippines Conference was attended by Wikimedians from a wide range of provinces and cities, including Aklan, Agusan del Norte, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Cebu, Ilocos Sur, Metro Manila, and Negros Occidental. (Photo by Jesse Alegre, CC BY-SA 4.0)
About PhilWiki Community
PhilWiki Community is a Philippine-based Wikimedia affiliate dedicated to promoting free knowledge, cultural heritage preservation, language diversity, and community engagement through Wikimedia projects. Through conferences, outreach programs, training activities, and partnerships, the organization empowers volunteers and institutions to contribute to the global open knowledge movement.
For more information, email contact@philwikicommunity.org.
Spreading the Spirit of Free Knowledge 