Much like the Oscar Award-winning 1962 classic on the American Wild West frontier, there’s a stirring story on how our own version of the West—Western Visayas that is—won its fight over the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the region’s strict adherence to health protocols, the virus has been kept to a manageable level, and is now slowly reopening its once-vibrant tourism industry.
According to Department of Tourism Regional Director Helen Catalbas, the region has adopted the modified tagline “Safely Experience Western Visayas First” as a new tack in restarting the economy by tapping the local travel market.
“We want to promote tourism while observing safety and health security, at the same time. Our main market now is our 8 million residents, whom we have to convince to travel within the region and rediscover its rich blend of nature, adventure and culture,” she said.
She pointed out that local officials in the region are putting the health and safety of residents and visitors as primary considerations, aside from reviving the economy and tourism.
Most of the region’s provinces and cities are already under MGCQ status and are ready to receive leisure visitors subject to safety requirements mandated by local government units.
Boracay, the country’s top destination, reopened last October 1 to tourists from all over the Philippines amid strict regulations to ensure that remains free from the virus. A perennial recipient of the prestigious “World’s Best Island” award, it was earlier opened to visitors from Western Visayas to test its readiness in implementing health protocols as it welcomes bigger number of arrivals.
Because of their low incidences of Covid-19, Antique and Guimaras are high on the tourist radar of travelers who are still wary of the virus. After undergoing rigid inspections for health measures among establishments, they have been given the go-signal to receive visitors.
The two provinces, much like the rest of the region, are ideal for family trips because of their charming countryside and low density where physical distancing can be observed.
Antique, with its 18 towns spread out across a gorgeous 155-km seaside road, is largely a tourism frontier which can spring up surprises even to grizzled travelers with its merry mix of adventure and culture.
It boasts of powdery beaches and idyllic islands such as Nogas, Seco and Mararison, trekking areas, Sibalom Natural Park, the rushing rivers of Tibiao and Bugang, enchanting waterfalls, and newly validated scuba diving spots along East Cuyo Pass.
As an ancient province, it also takes pride in its Spanish-era ancestral homes and baroque churches, most notably the newly restored San Juan Nepomuceno parish in Anini-y which captured the fancy of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra for an al fresco classical concert with its façade as a magnificent background.
Meanwhile, the island province of Guimaras is positioning itself as a haven for pedalers and has adopted the moniker “Bike Paradise of the Philippines” to put the spotlight on its bike-friendly road network and breathtaking and challenging inland trails.
Because of its imaging, the province abounds in adventure-themed parks and resorts to cater to extreme biking, team-building, and outdoor physical recreation.
Known for its best-tasting mangoes, it also has enticing beaches and viewpoint capes, and islets off the mainland. Other must-sees are the Balaan Bukid pilgrimage site, the Trappist Monastery which produces crafts and mango food products produced by the monks, and the San Lorenzo Wind Farm.
Iloilo City, while still under GCQ is showing marked improvements and is showcasing biking as an alternative mode of mobility under the new normal regime. With the award-winning landscaped River Esplanade and purpose-built bicycle lanes, the regional center has been promoting bike tours in the past few years as a healthy and recreational means to explore the city’s myriad of Instagrammable spots, most notably its well-preserved colonial-era mansions and churches.
Iloilo province, on the other hand, beckons with its host of farm tourism sites which offer moments to reconnect with nature after months of quarantine. Its mountain retreats and islands are also worth revisiting after being given a respite from human activity.
Aklan, Capiz, and Negros Occidental are also cautiously reopening with calibrated moves to lure the region’s home buddies to finally visit their next-door provinces they have taken for granted for so long.
As part of the continuous educational equipping of tourism officers and frontliners, Catalbas said that the DOT regional office conducted a series of webinars on street food cuisine, farm tourism, film educational showcase, basic filmmaking, culinary heritage, and virtual guided tours of the provinces and cities, among others.
She added that grants were also given to independent film producers under the Cinekasimanwa project which will showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region.
With a holistic tourism approach amid the pandemic, we can clearly see how the Western Visayas was won.