[dropcap color=”#dd9933″]G[/dropcap]ENERAL SANTOS CITY—The provincial government of South Cotabato has allocated an initial P2 million for the development a new tourism cluster or circuit in the area, it was learned recently.
According to Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes of South Cotabato, the amount will be used mainly for the formulation of a comprehensive tourism plan for the proposed tourism circuit that will cover the agri-industrial towns of Polomolok, Tupi and Tantangan.
“We will be hiring professionals or experts in the field of tourism development to assist the three municipalities in coming up with long-term and sustainable tourism plans and strategies,” Fuentes said.
The governor also said the initiative would focus on identifying viable tourism sites or attractions in the proposed circuit and creating strategies for their development and promotion. She added that it would also determine the immediate and long-term needs of the area’s tourism sector, specifically in terms of accommodations.
Tupi, called the province’s fruit capital, is home to a number of untapped tourism resources and established attractions, among them the tarsier sanctuary in Barangay Linan and several resorts.
The town, along with Polomolok, hosts the province’s most famous landmark—Mount Matutum—which, in turn, hosts several potential ecotourism sites.
Polomolok, famous for Dole Philippines Inc.’s vast pineapple plantations, boasts of several resorts, other fruit plantations and a golf course.
Tantangan has a number of undeveloped waterfalls and emerging spring resorts that have been drawing local tourists.
Fuentes said the development of the new tourism circuit will take off from a similar program that the provincial government adopted several years ago for South Cotabato’s upper valley tourism circuit, made up of the municipalities of T’boli, Lake Sebu, Surallah, Banga, Norala and Santo Niño.
The six towns are part of the Allah Valley Landscape Development Alliance (Avlada), a local government-led special environmental body that spearheads the protection, conservation and management of the critical Allah River and its environs.
The river, which is considered one of the biggest river systems in southern and central Mindanao, traverses 11 localities in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat.
Through the Avlada, the local government was able to tap the services of professional con-sultants for the development of a master plan for an “ecoutourism highway” that covers portions of the upper valley area.
This initiative was funded with the P6.3-million grant received by Avlada from the Canadian International Development Agency-supported Local Government Support Program-Local Economic Development.
“We will eventually link up the proposed tourism circuit with our upper valley area to form a province-wide tourism highway,” Fuentes said.
Allen V. Estabillo / Philippines News Agency