THE provincial government of Cebu will help place the Nug-as Forest Reserve in Alcoy town in the south in the forefront of the capitol’s tourism campaign that aims to make Cebu a community-based eco-tourism destination.
The Nug-as Forest Reserve Office is currently facing challenges in water supply, accommodation and lack of local ordinance to manage the natural reserve.
Alcoy Mayor Michael Sestoso said their forest’s reception area made out of a two-story house lacks space for tourists, standard rental rates and penalties.
Sestoso said he has discussed the problem with Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale who heads the committee on tourism in the provincial board.
The mayor said he invited Magpale and Provincial Tourism Officer Boboi Costas for an overnight stay in the highland forest on July 21 and 22, together with the members of the Capitol Association of Reporters in Tri-Media.
The forest reserve, located in Barangay Nug-as, is home to endemic plants and bird species.
Various classes of birds, including Cebu flowerpecker (Dicaeum quadricolor), an endangered species; and Black Shama (Copsychus cebuensis), locally known as siloy, can be found in the reserve.
A local hawk-owl (Ninox rumseyi), Philippine bulbul and wild pigeon can also be seen in the natural attraction.
The 1,600-hectare high ground stands more than 700 meters above sea level. The wilderness is the home of the Cebu mistletoe and Cebu cinnamon tree.
Costas said they will launch the “Big 5 Tourist Destinations” in August, which will include Nug-as in Alcoy.
The Big 5, Costas added, is a cluster of five destinations in Cebu, where local communities place premium on the conservation of natural and cultural heritage as the center of tourism.
Costas said they would assist the town formulate a local ordinance that promotes and preserves its ecology.
With the assistance of the Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Costas said the conservation of the remaining forest will be their thrust.
With the entry of the Cebu provincial government, the farmers in the area will be assisted in integrating livelihood to farming, Costas said.
He added there are success stories in other countries which use biodiversity as a tool in advancing the livelihood of the communities through tourism.
Sestoso said being included in the Big 5 is already a big boost in their eco-tourism promotion.
The Nug-as Forest Reserve is among the largest forest covers in Cebu and is identified by the national government as a “key biodiversity area” in 2006.