Tinian preserves ancient Chamorro site

TINIAN—The Taga Well, one of the most ancient Chamorro sites in the Marianas dating as far back to the time of the first Chamorro settlers, will be getting a little help from the Tinian Municipal Council and a few volunteers.

“We are putting up a fence around the well for the safety of children who may be playing around the area,” said Antonio H. Borja, former vice chairman of the Eighth Tinian Municipal Council. “We still want people to view the well, and it is still very accessible,” said Borja.

The well is located very close to the main area of the San Jose Fiesta. In response to concerned members of the community who fear that children may fall into the well while playing around the area, the Council and community volunteers rounded up mesh wire and placed a temporary fence around the well.

The well, which was adopted by the Tinian Municipal Council under the Na’ Gas Gas Tinian program nearly two-and-a-half years ago, replenishes itself with fresh water from a spring deep underground. Often, debris from coconut leaves or children throwing cans in the deep well causes the water to be murky. Since the Eighth Tinian Municipal Council, under Borja, the well has been revitalized, and more visitors are seen taking pictures around the well during island tours.

Recently, a volunteer from the community donated 30 community hours to the well cleaning project. Laurence Tumed, under the supervision of the Council, helped cleaned the well by hand and hauled leaves and other debris from the water for a few hours each day.

“We encourage more active volunteer participation,” said Edwin P. Aldan, chairman of the Council Committee on Tourism. “We are working to involve the community through individual participation, which will foster a feeling of personal ownership for each success we encounter with the local tourism economy,” said Aldan.

The Council members, who recently returned from a trip to China visiting various tour agencies, said that the Chinese and Korean markets are the most beneficial to the local economy due to these groups proficiency for gambling.

“We must all pitch in and help,” said Aldan. “You can help, from volunteering, to talking to each visitor you meet and being nice to them, to picking up a piece of trash when you see it at the beach or walking along the road,” he added.

For more information on how to participate in Na’ Gas Gas programs by the Council, call 433-2002/3470 or contact the Tinian Mayor’s Office at 433-9269.