MANILA, Philippines – Heritage conservationist and cultural writer Anna Maria “Bambi” Harper has died, the Intramuros Administration announced on Saturday, August 5.

“Remembering our former Intramuros Administrator, Ms. Anna Maria ‘Bambi’ L. Harper. Her dedication and leadership shaped our path, and her memory will forever guide us. Let us honor her legacy by carrying forward the values she instilled in us,” the Intramuros Administration said in a Facebook post.

Harper was the seventh administrator of one of Manila’s markers of heritage, Intramuros, from 2008 to 2010. The Intramuros Administration, a government institution attached to the Department of Tourism (DOT), is responsible for the restoration, preservation, and development of the country’s historic “walled city.”

“We thank her for her service to the Intramuros community and for her contribution in heritage conservation,” the administration added.

Harper has a long record of serving in the heritage advocacy. Harper was a founding member of the Concerned Citizens of the National Museum, and founding president of the Heritage Conservation Society of the Philippines.

She was also director of the Filipino Heritage Festival during her time as Intramuros administrator.

An Inquirer story also cites Harper’s involvement as commissioner of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, council member of the National Trust Foundation, executive committee member of the Presidential Commission on Culture and Arts, commissioner of the Manila Historical Commission, and consultant to the Department of Tourism.

In 2005, she received the Pama-as Gintong Bai award for cultural heritage conservation during the celebration of the centennial year of the Feminist Movement of the Philippines.

Various heritage conservation groups mourned the death of Harper and cited her contribution to their advocacy. – Rappler.com