DAVAO CITY – A team of experts are now in the city to consult local officials in crafting a multi-million tourism master plan for the city’s “Little Tokyo”.
On Tuesday, representatives from the consultancy firm Berkman International Inc. initiated a public-consultative meeting and workshop to gather information about the pre-war Barangay Mintal, a village considered as “Little Tokyo” after the Japanese built infrastructures during their occupation.
The consultation aimed to collect stories about the village from families who lived in the area before and after the Japanese occupation in order to trace back history and identify landmarks with heritage importance.
In a City Information Office dispatch, City Tourism Chief Regina Tecson said: “There is a need to have a first-hand knowledge of the typical Mintal tourism experience.”
Barangay Captain Ramon Bargamento II has proposed the “revival and rehabilitation of his barangay’s rich historical resources being declared as Japanese Heritage Area in 2009.”
The project has a P120-million budget from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism. (davaotoday.com)
