CEBU, Philippines - The Province of Cebu will soon have the first archeological heritage park and public beach in the Philippines.
This after Capitol Consultant Jojo Bersales, chairman of the committee on sites, relics and structures of the Cebu Provincial Tourism Heritage Council, proposed to declare San Remigio’s ‘Lapyahan’ or public beach as such.
Bersales said that Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has already approved his proposal and the Provincial Government will officially declare it on August during the 443rd founding anniversary of the Province of Cebu.
The Municipal Government of San Remigio will make the first declaration at their level.
Bersales said that the beach is no ordinary as it has been proven in recent excavation that it is a burial ground and at the same time a site of a very old settlement.
The beach is extremely significant not only to Cebu but also to the whole country because only a few had gathered artifacts and pottery that date about 1400 years back, Bersales said.
The items that were found during the archeological excavations will soon be displayed in a museum.
San Remigio Mayor Jay Olivar has approved the conversion of the former barangay hall into a museum, which will now be the top site for archeological and historical artifacts in the municipality.
Beside the museum will rise a visitors and tourism center and next to it would be a souvenir shop.
Bersales hopes that this will help spur tourism and cultural awareness that the town is the oldest archeological site in Cebu.
“Instead of directly going to Bantayan Island, one of the popular tourist destinations in the province, the tourists could drop by San Remigio to visit the site and help the economy, educate people and make the people of San Remigio and Cebu even prouder,” he said. – (FREEMAN)