Since 2020, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has allotted a budget for the continuous development of an online platform that can hold a great number of high-resolution digitized materials concerning Philippine national and local history. Named the National Memory Project, the endeavor envisions democratized Philippine history materials, especially the rare collection, unique items, and public domain materials found in the NHCP library, archives, or museums.
The National Memory Project envisions a democratized Philippine history for all with a mission to:
1. Host a common online platform for public and private stakeholders of Philippine history where they can contribute their unique sources and items;
2. Simplify historical research in the Philippines;
3. Empower the public to be more critical of their shared past by bringing Philippine history sources closer to them;
4. Address the disparity of access to primary sources of the history scholars, students, and enthusiasts in the provinces and Filipinos abroad;
5. Contribute to the democratization of Philippine primary sources, which are made available online by great repositories here and abroad but with fewer restrictions:
a. Downloadable in high-resolution
b. Minimal watermark that does not impair the appearance of the material digitally
c. Can be searched internally, especially the texts
Objectives
1. Platform: Develop a site that is intuitive, following the conventions and best practices of democratization of information here and abroad
2. One-Stop NHCP Site: Unify the diverse platforms and collections of the NHCP into a single online platform via the National Memory Project.
3. Uploading: To make the NHCP holdings available online with a small watermark footer like the conventions of the National Library of the Philippines to its digitized items
4. Respect for Copyright: Not all NHCP holdings are accessible to all, especially the copyrighted Philippine materials unless accessed in the NHCP Main Library in Manila. Thus, accessibility is not for all unless equipment belongs to NHCP-authorized personnel and/or part of the NHCP premises. To address the mobility concern, there is a need to develop NHCP Spaces in the NHCP Museums and other areas where the public can enjoy the contents of the National Memory Project on all levels (see Accessibility Levels). Otherwise specified, downloading and reproduction of copyrighted materials are restricted in these spaces.
5. Enriching Philippine History: Expose more Philippine history materials found in various repositories of the country by expanding the catalog of Philippine history materials through collaboration with institutions and personalities with unique Philippine history collections.
6. Expand: Equip participating collaborators with digitization, especially the government ones. Collaborators may bring the NHCP-provided scanners to other institutions in their respective localities for more digitization efforts.