SOME ancestral houses and Colonial-era structures in Glan, Sarangani Province take pride to withstand the test of time, man-made developments and nature's upheavals.
These have been preserved and protected over the years amid the offspring of massive development that is changing the landscape of the municipality.
The heritage houses have become a tourism destination, thus, was cited by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as a heritage town.
Glan municipal tourism officer Lodar Dagoy Escobillo told media recently that their tourism industry is booming.
They are slowly getting attention from domestic tourists and foreigners alike, mostly in town to take a dip on the stretch of powdery beaches that could match Boracay and tour around Poblacion to go sight-seeing at the heritage village.
“#TourTownGlan, that’s our tourism tagline. It depicts that our town, despite its sleepiness, but still we would like to give (our tourists) an experience of simple living, provincial living for our tourists to also rest and relax. Not only with our white sand beaches but we have black sand beaches and other ecotourism resources like waterfalls,” Escobillo said.
She said that the local government unit (LGU) is exerting efforts to keep the cultural heritage that has played a major role in their rich and colorful history.
The heritage houses used to be the homes of prominent families dating back early 1900s, making it a perfect haven for those who are fascinated with ancestral houses and architecturally-inclined individuals.
“Everyone can walk around our Poblacion and be walking the memory lane with our ancestral houses dating back as early as 1930s. [These are] more on Spanish- American inspired architecture,” she said.
Glan was the first Christian settlement from Cebu who migrated to their town 105 years ago back in 1914 where it has been a home to the B'laan and Manovu Ovu tribes. The Christian migrants who came from Talisay, Alegria and Colon are locally known as “Colonos,” who brought in the Spanish influence and established houses that can be seen now around Glan’s Poblacion.
Old houses in Glan that are still in good shape are now limited in terms of numbers as some have been tore down and appeared fragile to live in.
Escobillo said that they are working out with the families and owners of those heritage houses in restoring it as part of the community development program for tourism.
There are four heritage houses that are still standing and are in good state which require little renovation while most have worn out and they wished that they could also have these houses rehabilitated and revive to its old condition.
At the heart of the town's center, near the public market lies one of the ancestral houses in Glan- the Alegado ancestral house. Its exteriors can already capture the eyes of passersby because of its elegant appeal. It is gives a breath of fresh air from the usual modern buildings in Davao City.
Upon entering the house, the intricately carved woods at the ceiling and panels are noticeable and that could make you wonder how these were perfectly done considering the limited resources and technology before. But then, old generations have their own way despite the absence of tools.
It is still being occupied by the new generation of Alegado. It was properly maintained and its original design is well-preserved. Although there are some features of the houses that have been improved including the upholstery as some have been worn out over the time, but they made sure that it would still complement their house's design.
One of the common features of the ancestral houses are the huge windows designed for proper ventilation since air conditioning was not yet introduced then.
Researchers, especially students who are into heritage houses or architecture, have been visiting as well as those from NCCA bringing in visitors to check out the architecture and the state of ancestral houses.
“We are really praying and hoping that more will be coming, would be more enticed to visit our place especially our local heritage,” she said.
The NCCA is also giving technical assistance in terms of the planned restoration of the houses. Their municipal dispensary which was constructed in 1940s would be converted into a local museum with a budget of P2 million. The construction is expected to commence either by the end of this year or early quarter in 2019.
Tourist arrival
As the town of Glan is slowly making waves in the tourism industry, last year they recorded around 370,000 tourist arrivals including 120,000 in the first quarter alone.
For this year, they have one-million target and they are upbeat in hitting their goal. They are pushing for an ordinance which is the mandatory reporting of tourist arrivals by tourism establishments.
"We are constantly in touch with our stakeholders especially private stakeholders, may mga organizations kami and we network always with DOT for free workshop trainings, capability building seminars and we make them feel that the LGU is really supporting them.”
One thing that is laudable about their tourism campaign is their call to champion sustainable tourism.
“I am hopeful that the tourism of Glan become more vibrant but we need to also campaign for cleaner, greener and more sustainable tourism development,” Escobillo said.
Escobillo said that there were several festivals that were being celebrated every year such as Mahin Festival which takes place every April. Mahin is a B'laan term for beach or sea. It is a beach festival with same venue with Sarbay in Gumasa which features indigenous games to highlight the town's rich culture and traditions.
Every May, everyone is giddy for the much-anticipated biggest festival in Mindanao, the Sarangani Bay Festival. Hundreds of beach goers start flocking every summer to join the annual festivity and experience what Glan has to offer.
Escobillo said that one of their economic drivers is the coconut industry and that explains why they have Lubi-Lubi Festival to showcase the rich and bountiful coconut products of Glan. This is also a celebration of their history, culture through street dancing as a thanksgiving for the abundance of the town's main agricultural product.