Davao City eyes development of Japanese heritage sites

DAVAO CITY- The City Government of Davao is eyeing the development of Japanese heritage sites in efforts to entice more Japanese visitors in the City.

Lisette Marques, City Tourism Officer said they are planning to reconstruct heritage sites like monuments particularly in Barangay Mintal, with the city trying to source the funds from the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority of which they are submitting the proposal.

Among the projects include cultural-historical mapping of Japanese heritage sites and restorations of these monuments and relics.

The identified flagbearer of the project is barangay Mintal that is the site of pre-war Japanese settlement.

Among identified relics included a Japanese-made artesian well, remnants of a Japanese hospital, Japanese cemetery and a monument.

According to Barangay Mintal captain Ramon Bargamento, the proposal to TIEZA will include the rehabilitation of monument sites, the construction of a Japanese museum and rehabilitation of the Japanese cemetery.

The proposal known as the Barangay Mintal Little Tokyo Japanese Heritage Site project will need about P50-million to P100-million grant.

Marques said the city is supportive of the efforts considering that 13,000 Japanese visit the city annually.

“If we want to create traffic of people to Davao we need to enhance sites such as these.” Marques said.

The City Tourism Officer is also eyeing private initiatives to complement the project such as having flights from Japan to Davao.

She added that to ensure repeat visitors from Japanese tourists one must remove the hassles of going to the city. For example visitors will have to stay overnight in Manila to catch their trip to Davao.

Marques also said one must also communicate to the Japanese visitors that there is something more to see in Davao which will enticed them to visit again.

Davao City before World War II was known as Little Japan as it had a sizeable Japanese population in the city due to the presence of Japanese abaca plantations and other industries. Mintal was known as Little Tokyo since it was the center of Japanese community in Davao. (PIA/RG Alama)