By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora
MANILA -- The Spanish government in collaboration with the
Philippines revealed efforts to integrate the human resources in Intramuros to
make activities within the so-called walled city more sustainable and
attractive to tourists.
"In Spain, a country of tourism, we have almost 50 sites that are
declared world heritage by the UNESCO, we know that in urban centers like
Intramuros, urban historical sites made out of streets, people live in and work
inside," Guillermo Escribano, first secretary of Spain Embassy in Manila
said.
"You're not taking all of these people out of historical sites as
if it were a museum," he explained. "You have to integrate them to
take advantage of their presence in order to make this attractive. What we're
talking about here, preserving human heritage."
In an interview, he said Rolling Manila, a project to redesign food
carts and stalls in Intramuros, is a "special methodology" that aims to
promote a "sustainable" integration of livelihood and tourism.
Escribano said the vendors are part of the microcosm of Intramuros.
"It is of course much better if the tourists see that the place where food
is being cooked are in very good shape and condition and under hygienic
conditions."
Cora Linsangan, the first beneficiary and owner of the prototype
Rolling Manila food stall said the initiave indeed came in as a "big
help".
"Malaking tulong, dahil sira-sira na yung dati naming kariton,
magandang move para rin mas ma-attract lalo yung mga turista [This is a
big help to us... our old cart is dilapidated. This is a good move to attract
tourists]," she said.
Escribano said the next step now is for Philippine institutions and the
government to take decisions whether the "methodology" and its
outcome can be replicated or not.
Maria Rita Matute, executive director of the Design Center of the
Philippines, said the concept is to cash in on the food culture in Manila.
Together with Intramuros Administration and ZOOHAUS, a platform
for networking that combines interests of different agents linked to
architecture and urban planning, the three agencies aimed to
"uplift" the Filipino street food vendors collective as well as
reflect a gastronomic culture that is distinctively Filipino.
"This is still a prototype but the target of the Intramuros
Administration is (to roll out) by first quarter of next year," Matute
said.
Data by the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines show that the vendors,
whether or not officially registered as such, "represent a unique
collective composed mainly of women (69%) with years of experience (50 to 60
years of age) that manages a homey modus vivendi, more often stationary than
itinerant."
"Despite being a living treasure of the other side of Manila, the
real one or the one that is not mentioned in tourist guides, like in other
capitals in the world – belittled," it said. (PNA)
