Dumaguete is known for its literary culture, but its stories are not meant to stay only on the pages of books. Through Duma LiteraTour, participants are learning how the city’s landmarks, heritage, and literature can come together to create more meaningful tourism experiences.
Bringing Literature Beyond the Classroom
The Duma LiteraTour training, organized by the Department of Tourism – Negros Island Region (DOT-NIR) with Ian Casocot and Renz Torres, gives participants an opportunity to explore Dumaguete while practicing how to share its stories with visitors. A special reading of “Casaroro Falls” by National Artist for Literature Gémino H. Abad was recently held at the National Museum of the Philippines – Dumaguete, connecting literature with one of Negros Oriental’s well-known natural landmarks. Instead of learning only inside a classroom, participants walked through key sites around Dumaguete and practiced guiding tours using local stories and literary pieces. This approach allows landmarks to be experienced not only as places to visit but also as places with history, culture, and stories worth remembering.
Making Dumaguete’s Heritage More Meaningful
Duma LiteraTour highlights how storytelling can add another layer to tourism. A historic building, a natural attraction, or a familiar street can become more meaningful when visitors understand the stories connected to it. For a city recognized for its literary culture, this connection between books, places, and people creates an experience that goes beyond traditional sightseeing. It also gives future tour guides the tools to introduce Dumaguete through stories that reflect the city's identity. The program also supports the passing of local knowledge from one generation to another. As new guides learn about Dumaguete’s heritage, they can help share these stories with future visitors and keep them alive.
A New Way to Discover the City of Stories
Duma LiteraTour shows how tourism can become an opportunity to experience literature in a more personal and engaging way. By bringing participants to actual landmarks and encouraging them to tell the stories behind these places, the program helps connect Dumaguete’s literary identity with its tourism experience. For visitors, this means that exploring Dumaguete can be more than simply checking destinations off a travel list. It can be about listening, learning, and discovering the stories that make the City of Literature unique.
