THE Department of Tourism (DOT) will push construction, rehabilitation and sustainability projects to protect island destinations and key tourism sites in the country.
During the recent Kapihan sa Cafe Adriatico, Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo Puyat said the agency has just approved a P400-million project to rehabilitate Burnham Park, one of the major tourist attractions in Baguio City, traditionally known as the country’s summer capital.
In November, the BusinessMirror, after an interview with Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, had reported on the Burnham Park rehabilitation plans.
“When I entered the DOT [in May 2018], Boracay had just closed in April. Since we opened it, we have been rehabilitating other tourism destinations like Bohol, Siargao, Siquijor, El Nido, Coron, Samal Island in Davao, and we are also looking at Baguio. In fact for Baguio, we have just approved a P400-million project that will rehabilitate Burnham Park,” she said.
She added, “When you look at the DOT, it’s more of the promotion of our sun and beach [destinations], but now we have focused more on rehabilitation and sustainability efforts, together with the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources] and the DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government].”
The three agencies were instrumental in closing down Boracay Island on April 26, 2018, to rehabilitate it by enforcing easement regulations, cleaning up and recovering wetlands, widening the main road, pushing the installation of sewerage treatment plants for resorts, re-accrediting accommodation establishments with the necessary government permits, among others. While open to the public since October 27, 2018, several infrastructure works are still ongoing, and visitors are restricted to the carrying capacity of 19,125 tourists at any given time.
“We [DOT] are taking a more active role not only in promoting, but also in rehabilitating our tourist destinations. In fact, we have just approved the P500-million project to improve the sewerage system of Coron,” Romulo Puyat underscored.
She said the DOT is currently working on the tourism development plans of all the tourist destinations where 12 international airports are located, and to be undertaken by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), an attached agency.
These include Manila, Davao City, Bohol, Cebu, Iloilo, Laoag in Ilocos Norte, Bacolod in Negros Occidental, New Bohol, Legazpi, New Bicol, Laguindingan in Misamis Oriental, and San Vicente in Palawan.
“Part of Tieza’s mandate is to make tourism development plans because there are still destinations that do not have plans, yet. And we will be focusing on that because these plans are important to make your tourism infrastructure plans,” she noted.
In November, Tieza approved a tourism master plan for Central Visayas, home to prime tourist destinations Cebu and Bohol. In 2018, the region attracted some 8 million tourists, both from local and foreign markets. Tourism receipts also reached P44 billion.
Among Tieza’s current projects are the rehabilitation of Mount Samat Shrine in Bataan, and Corregidor Island.
In the case of Baguio City, the DOT chief said its current local government head, Mayor Magalong, is eyeing to transform it into a “smart city,” and pedestrianize some parts. “[He wants to] rehabilitate its market, no more cutting of trees, no more building new buildings; there are enough hotels in Baguio.”
She stressed, “That’s why we have approved the P400-million project to rehabilitate Burnham Park. It will no longer be converted into a parking space, that’s for sure.”
The Senate is also crafting legislation to “institutionalize oversight bodies” in major tourism destination like Boracay, Bohol, Siargao, among others, said Romulo Puyat. The oversight bodies will be a partnership between the local government units, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the DOT.
Image credits: Siwabud Veerapaisarn | Dreamstime.com