REPRESENTATIVE Stanley T. Torres says the government should help preserve local culture through the establishment of a Chamorro village.
Torres, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means, recently pre-filed House Joint Resolution 13-11 which urges the Marianas Public Lands Authority to designate a portion of Civic Center Beach for the construction and operation of a Chamorro Culture Village.
Civic Center Beach is between Castaway’s Bar & Grill and Tronkon Da’ok Children’s Playground along Beach Road.
“The preservation of indigenous culture is worthwhile, noble and desired. The Chamorro culture has been handed down for 4,000 years in the Northern Marianas. The construction of the village will not only promote the preservation of that culture but will also provide a permanent venue for artisans and craftsmen,” said Torres, R-Saipan.
He also praised Noel B. Quitugua, community development specialist III of the Indigenous Affairs Office, for developing a viable plan for the construction and operation of the village.
Torres said the village would also serve as a major tourist attraction and thus would promote the tourism industry which is one of the priorities of the administration.
Quitugua said it is about time that Chamorros, who are becoming a minority on their own land, assert their rights.
The village, he said, will not only serve as a cultural and educational institution but a tourist attraction and an outdoor recreational center.
