By Johnny C. Nuñez / Philippines News Agency
LEGAZPI CITY—World-famous Mount Fuji in Yamanashi prefecture in Japan and Mayon Volcano in Albay will soon be kins. Both are active volcanoes and enticingly beautiful and attractive tourist attractions, even as they are similarly furious and destructive when they erupt.
Officials of Yamanashi prefecture and Albay started discussions last week on a sisterhood agreement for their two top assets that will benefit their development programs, particularly tourism.
Albay Gov. Joey S. Salceda said the “planned sisterhood between two of the world’s most beautiful and stunning volcanoes—Mount Fuji and Mayon Volcano—is a major marketing coup for the Philippines and the Department of Tourism, and there is no doubt Albay and the whole Bicol region will gain a major boost from this tourism alliance.”
Aside from tourism, Salceda said, the sisterhood agreement also explores partnership in disaster-risk reduction and climate-change adaptation for which Albay has been a global model, as well as on education, agriculture, trade and investments. Four representatives from Yamanashi’s Fuefuki City, headed by Mayor Seiji Kurishima, met with Salceda and other Albay provincial officials on October 21 at the Diamond Hotel in Manila and started talks on areas of partnership that could link up their development programs.
With Kureshima were Fuefuki City Secretary Makoto Hashimoto, Director for International Relations Koichi Kubota and Tourism Inbound Manager Majed Kmiyama. The group visited Albay province following the Diamond Hotel conference.
The partnership was initially proposed by Salceda earlier this year, in a letter to Gov. Shomei Yokouchi of Yamanashi prefecture, pointing out the noted resemblance of the two provinces, and the possibility of “partnership and collaboration, pooling of resources and expertise.”
“Our provinces have complementary mandates and common interest in the pursuit of our respective missions, and recognize the need to enhance collaborative undertaking of programs, projects and activities to foster and accelerate countryside development,” Salceda said in his letter. He proposed a partnership “in the fields of tourism, disaster risk reduction and climate-change adaptation, education, agriculture, trade and investments, and culture and the arts,” but stressed tourism is bound to immediately benefit from it because of their parallel attractions, particularly between Mount Fuji and Mayon Volcano.
Mount Fuji, Japan’s iconic snow-topped active volcano that is on Honshu Island, stands 12,380 feet, and is an international destination for tourism and mountain climbing, like Albay’s 8,000-foot-high Mayon Volcano, the Philippines’s near-perfect cone volcano which is also a magnet for tourists and mountaineers. Mount Fuji is a Unesco Heritage Site, while Mayon Volcano is still tentatively listed. Albay is likewise nominated for a Unesco Biosphere Area accreditation. Fuji-san straddles the boundaries of Yamanashi prefecture and another province. Mayon straddles eight towns and three cities of Albay.
Albay is known for its traditional arts such as pottery, hand-made metalsmith, Manila hemp or abaca (Musa textilis) woven cloth, and agricultural products like pili nuts (Canarium ovatum) and taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves.
Salceda said the perfect connection between Mayon Volcano and Mount Fuji may be dubbed as “Fire and Ice,” with Mayon associated with the image of its crater spewing fire, and Fuji with its snow-capped top. Both volcanoes are surrounded by national parks.
Albay takes pride in its diverse natural attractions, delectable cuisine and fine handicrafts specially its natural endowment.