Tourism plan for Balangiga bells to be drawn
THE SMALL town of Balangiga is expected to attract tourists with the return of its three church bells after 117 years in the hands of the United States following the Philippine-American War. Stakeholders are one in making the historic bells accessible to the public as an attraction, and they all agree that a tourism plan is needed to ensure that it becomes a contributor to economic growth. In an interview last Saturday on the sidelines of the Balangiga bells turnover ceremony, Mayor Randy D. Graza told BusinessWorld that he supports the idea of making the bells as one of the town’s main tourist attractions. “Yes, I support it,” However, he added, the decision is up to the San Lorenzo De Martyr Parish Church, the home of the bells. San Lorenzo’s parish priest, Fr. Serafin Tybaco, Jr., said in a separate interview that the church is very much open to the idea and is just awaiting coordination with the Department of Tourism (DoT) and the local government. —
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