Filipino anthropologists' 'Anthro on Foot' receives 'Star of Outstanding' award from UNESCO
Pinoy pride!
Raizel Pauline Albano's "Anthro on Foot," a collection of audio walking tours from 17 regions across the country, was recognized at the 2024 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases (AWHEIC) by UNESCO in New Delhi, India, making her the first Filipino to win this award.
In a Facebook post, Albano announced that her initiative was chosen as one of the Top 10 winners of the heritage education projects out of some 300 entries in the "Star of Outstanding" category, joining other countries such as Hong Kong, China, Spain, Abu Dhabi, Hungary, and Britain.
She was also invited to present at the "Science, Creativity, Empowerment—World Heritage Education Towards the Future" online session.
"We are incredibly grateful for WHITRAP's support and confidence in our abilities to amplify the powerful and colorful stories of the Philippines and (… coming soon) the Asia-Pacific region!" she wrote in the caption.
She continued, "Above all, thank YOU—our family, friends, team, listeners, sponsors, and media outlets—for supporting us along this exciting journey and helping us get to where we are today."
In 2022, the Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases (AWHEIC) was launched to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention. It was organized by the World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITRAP) with the help and support of UNESCO.
According to its website, AWHEIC aims to "select heritage education cases with contemporary exemplary significance around the world" as well as to "provide an international exchange platform for global heritage education practitioners."
Albano's motivation to launch her audio tour project stemmed from her love for leisurely exploring new places on affordable, self-paced walking tours. She grabs the opportunity to immerse herself in local experiences at her own pace.
She started recording for the tours on Jan. 3, 2020, juggling the project while caring for her six-month-old daughter. After four years, she finally managed to accomplish her initial goal of creating audio tours for 44 cities and municipalities on Jan. 9, 2024.
The 44 self-guided audio walking tours for 44 cities and municipalities in the Philippines serve as a way for travelers to learn about the country's famous tourist spots while also helping the environment by mitigating the use of vehicles.
"Traveling does not have to be at the cost of the environment. Through our self-paced walking tours, we help reduce our carbon footprint—one foot at a time," Albano wrote about the audio tours.
Consisting of about six commentaries on the city's most popular tourist attractions, each tour costs a modest fee of P65.
To access them, you must first download the izi.TRAVEL app and type "Philippines" on the search bar, and all the available tours will show up. You will then get redirected by the app for payment before you can have access to the tours.
