ABMC promotes cultural tourism, memorialization at Philippine conference

"ABMC cemeteries and memorials are important because they serve as a portal to the past, a mirror of the present, and a guide for the future." - Vicente Lim IV, ABMC Visitor Center Director at Manila American Cemetery

Visitor Center Director at Manila American Cemetery Vicente Lim IV represented ABMC at the Philippine Research Conference on Tourism Hospitality Conference that took place in Los Baños, Philippines, last month. This year's conference was themed around promoting peace and diversity through edutourism and hospitality.

Vicente Lim IV, Visitor Center director at Manila American Cemetery, represents ABMC at the Philippine Research Conference on Tourism Hospitality Conference, Sept. 12.

In front of an audience made up of members of the tourism industry, school administrators, teachers and foundation-connected individuals, Lim gave insights on the importance of ABMC's mission and Manila American Cemetery in memorialization and cultural tourism, as well as international diplomacy and peacebuilding on the international stage.

"ABMC cemeteries and memorials are important because they serve as a portal to the past, a mirror of the present, and a guide for the future," shared Lim with the audience. "It's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of headstones and names. It's easy to forget that under each headstone, and behind each name, is a human story. Each story is a portal to the social milieu of the time. Knowing these stories is helpful in our understanding of current events."

The presentation was also a great opportunity to inform audience members about the different programs and services offered at Manila American Cemetery and across ABMC cemeteries including next-of-kin assistance, exhibits at the 10 visitor centers, free guided tours and education outreach.

A mother and daughter place small American flags in front of headstones of World War II American fallen buried at Manila American Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day, 2024.

In recent years, ABMC has focused on developing resources to broaden audience understanding of the significance of ABMC sites. Through interpretation, in Lim's words, "ABMC staff are trained to use a purposeful approach to providing experiences that provoke thought and provoke emotion. Our tours aren't lectures about historical facts. Instead, they are meant to help visitors discover meaning and connections within the resource itself, and the stories we tell."

The Manila American Cemetery contains the largest number of graves of our military dead of World War II, a total of 16,859, most of whom lost their lives in operations in New Guinea and the Philippines.

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