28 October 2016 — The University of California, Los Angeles invited Philippine Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz to attend the Symposium on “Breaking Myths, Bridging Cooperation: Philippine Archeology” held at the Lushkin Conference Center, UCLA on October 20.                                                                                       

The symposium was organized by Dr. Stephen Acabado and co-sponsored by the UCLA Cotsen Institute of Archeology headed by Dr. Willeke Wendrich.  It focused on Philippine history and heritage of the Benguet Province and the origins of the Banaue Rice Terraces carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines. The Rice Terraces are commonly referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

Dr. Stephen Acabado, a Filipino American professor, is currently head of the Ifugao Archaelogical Project (IAP), which investigates relationships between the Southeast Asian agricultural complex and the Philippine landscape. 

In his remarks, Consul General Cruz expressed his gratitude to the Cotsen Institute of Archeology and the IAP.  The Consul General commended Dr. Stephen Acabado and his team for their contributions to the field of archaelogy and the archeological studies in the Philippines. END