TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Tourism (DOT) in Eastern Visayas is pushing for a new tour program in Eastern Samar following the return of the historic Balangiga Bells.
Karen S. Tiopes, DOT regional director, said on Tuesday that the publicity generated from the return of the Balangiga Bells in December last year “also gave a mileage in terms of awareness.”
“It has actually placed Balangiga on the tourism map,” Tiopes said. “In fact, since its return until the end of January, the municipality already welcomed over 22,000 visitors.”
She added they conducted an assessment of the existing tour in Balangiga and identified the gaps.
“We now have a list of things that will be done within three months and tasks that will be completed in six months or more,” Tiopes said while lauding the tourism initiatives of the provincial government.
She said tourism “is one of the priorities” of the local government.
The tourism director said that DOT has accredited 16 “homestay” places in Divinubo, Borongan, and another two in Hernani in Eastern Samar.
According to her, the DOT has evaluated all these homes to determine if they meet the homestay standards. Tiopes added the government agency also trained the owners of these houses.
“For Balangiga, we have yet to assess the homes of those that the local government unit has identified for homestay. This will be part of the medium-term ‘To Dos’ for Balangiga,” she said. “Priority projects will be training for the stakeholders and front-liners to make the Balangiga Historical Tour market- and visitor-ready.”
The tourism director, however, maintained that many local governments also have tourism initiatives already.
Some are beneficiaries of the Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation tourism infrastructure and livelihood project, according to Tiopes.
Meanwhile, Eastern Samar Provincial Tourism Officer Franklin N. Robedizo said that aside from the Balangiga historical tour, they are also developing a Samar Island Tourism Master Development Plan. Robedizo added they are also formulating a tour program for the Tubabao Island Dobrota Tour, in a bid to nominate the country’s largest forest protected area-Samar Island Natural Park as a world heritage site and biosphere reserve.
“Tourism program is a priority development agenda, more particularly, as a key economic driver to lower the poverty incidence in the province,” he said.