BORACAY ISLAND, Aklan —To further promote heritage conservation and bring more tourists to mainland Malay, the municipal government is drafting a cultural heritage map, the first in the province of Aklan.
The cultural heritage mapping project, which will end on April 7, was implemented by the Municipal Tourism Office of Malay in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the University of Santo Tomas.
As part of the project, 51 public elementary and secondary school teachers and councilors were tasked to conduct the barangay-level survey of heritage resources, covering 17 municipalities from November 2016 to March this year.
The project, according to Rex Aguirre, in-charge of the Culture and the Arts and Events of Malay Municipal Tourism Council, will be used to develop activities to lure tourists to mainland Malay.
Aguirre said this will likewise spread tourism activities out of Boracay Island.
“We wanted to show the beauty, heritage and the culture of Malay. We wanted to show that we are more than just Boracay,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre said part of the project also is the creation of a book that will contain all the significant historical treasures of the town.
The project, according to Aguirre, is also conducted in line with Republic Act No. 10066 also known as the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, which requires LGUs to make an inventory of their cultural properties and document and preserve their traditional and contemporary arts.