ZAMBOANGA CITY -– The city government is now ready to fund the multi-million construction of the country’s first-ever cultural complex and museum for the indigenous people in Zamboanga City.
Zamboanga City 1st District City Councillor Rogelio Lim Valesco, Jr. said on Wednesday that the city has allocated an initial P100 million to jumpstart the construction of the cultural complex and museum for each tribe and culture in this city.
“There is a need for our young generation of Mindanaoans and Zamboangueños to really learn, appreciate, embrace, and take pride in their roots,”.Valesco said.
He was referring to Subanens and Subanons tribes including the Yakans, Sama Bajau, Sama Bangingi, Kolibugan, Tausugs, and Maranaos who are all residing in this city.
Valesco, a former broadcast journalist in this city, said the cultural complex will house museums for each culture, a display center, an amphitheater, a conference room, offices for the IP council, and a pavilion.
Valesco emphasized that Zamboanga City is a melting pot of various cultures, communities, people, and tribes through centuries and have found and grown roots in the City.
The indigenous people have also contributed much to the welfare and development of the city, according to Valesco.
Valesco said he also envisioned that the cultural complex will be a place to preserve, display, and serve as windows of the culture, arts, and tradition, practices of the Indigenous People and other major cultures.
Valesco claimed that the complex will collect objects of historical and traditional values, cultural and religious materials, items of historical importance, research on these materials, preserve them, exhibit or put them on display for educational and tourism purposes.
The ordinance also calls for the creation of its cultural office with supervision by the National Commission on Indigenous People and support from the City Tourism Office as well as the city administration office.
The Indigenous People Council lauded Valesco for his initiative that offers homage and recognition to the Indigenous People and other major cultures in Mindanao, particularly in the entire Zamboanga peninsula.