The La Orotava Council, led by Delia Escobar in the Department of Citizen Participation and Cultural Heritage, is advancing its community engagement initiative, Valor-es. This programme aims to highlight local residents who contribute significantly to their neighbourhoods and the municipality, focusing on human and cultural values.
Following a successful first edition in 2025 in Aguamansa, La Perdoma, Pinolere, and Camino de Chasna, the project is now expanding to include La Luz-Las Candias, La Florida, La Piedad, and Benijos. From March to August, various participatory processes were held with community groups in these areas, fostering dialogue and reflection on the human and cultural values they hold.
La Orotava’s mayor, Francisco Linares García, emphasised that Valor-es serves as a tool for citizen participation based on dialogue and recognition of diverse human values within the municipality. “We want to honour those individuals who contribute meaningfully to their communities, helping preserve our identity and keep our history alive,” he said. He acknowledged that many residents’ efforts often go unnoticed, and this project aims to give them recognition, ensuring their contributions are remembered for future generations.
Delia Escobar explained that Valor-es is an open process where local residents identify individuals or groups that embody their community’s values. The initial phase revealed the wealth of intangible heritage within the neighbourhoods and the vital role that people, associations, and groups play in conveying knowledge, traditions, and experiences that shape local identity.
Community workshops held last year in the initial neighbourhoods facilitated discussions among participants, who shared experiences and insights about their surroundings. The process culminated in selecting several residents whose stories and images formed part of an exhibition shown in the Constitution Square and the featured neighbourhoods.
Escobar noted that the continuation of the project is crucial for expanding this experience, allowing more urban areas in the municipality to identify and celebrate their social and cultural references.
