Eleventh International Conference on The Inclusive Museum

Abstract

The Dewil Valley located in rural El Nido, Palawan, Philippines is home to Ille Cave, where Permian fossils (250 million years), the only evidence of tigers in the Philippines, and the oldest cremation burials in South East Asia can be found. In 2016, a multi-level heritage program was then set up to work towards developing the heritage consciousness of the local community. Central to the execution of this program was the empowerment of the youth as program managers, facilitators, and volunteers, working towards the goal of engaging other youth in the conservation of our shared natural and cultural heritage. In this presentation, I will talk about the steps (and missteps) that our team has taken in cultivating strong bonds between our youth volunteers and how our project has developed in the past two years that we have focused on harnessing the power of the young and enthusiastic.