THE Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) Board has approved almost P4 billion worth of tourism infrastructure projects which seek to promote sustainable tourism, restore and rehabilitate cultural and historical sites, and improve overall visitor experience.
During the board meeting held on November 28, 2019, priority tourism infrastructure projects have been approved for the provinces, such as Benguet, Palawan, Iloilo, Pampanga, Pangasinan and for Corregidor Island.
Tieza Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas said that the approval of this fourth batch of high-impact tourism infrastructure projects is a major milestone for the agency since it was reorganized in 2009. Prior to the November board meeting, Tieza has approved P1.2 billion worth of tourism infrastructure projects which included the rehabilitation and improvement of the Chocolate Hills Complex. In sum, Tieza Board approved a total of P5 billion worth of tourism infrastructure projects in 2019 alone.
“Our tourism infrastructure is not perfect. We need to develop, and build better facilities to ensure that our local and foreign tourists will continue to enjoy our beautiful destinations without compromising environmental sustainability,” Paragas pointed out in a statement.
Paragas explained that Tieza is stepping up its investment in tourism infrastructure in key tourism destination sites to spur growth, create jobs in local communities and ensure the sustainability of each sites for future generations.
“The approved projects were recommended by the Tieza Infrastructure Committee to the Board after careful evaluation and various consultations with different local government units and regional tourism officials, as well as with concerned stakeholders in the respective areas,” he added.
Among the big-ticket projects approved by the Board include: a) Rehabilitation of Burnham Park in Baguio; b) Construction of wastewater treatment facility, modular floating docks and solar streetlights in Coron, Palawan; c) Tagkawayan Beach Tourism Development Project, modular floating docks in various barangays in Puerto Princesa, Palawan; d) Construction of Housing for Hyperbaric Chamber Facilities in El Nido and Coron, Palawan; e) Restoration/rehabilitation of three plazas in Iloilo, namely Arevalo, Molo, La Paz Plaza; f) Reconstruction and retrofitting of San Agustin Church and San Guillermo Church; g) Reconstruction of breakwater in Corregidor Island in Cavite City.