ShareThis
July 9, 2010
VIRAC, Catanduanes — The Department of Tourism (DOT) has set up an exclusive café, bath house and a Visitors’ Information Center at strategic locations in the province to complement the existing tourist facilities in the island being frequented by tourists for its exotic beaches, dive and surf boarding sites and other wonderful eco-tourism attractions.
DOT regional director for Bicol Maria Ong-Ravanilla said the Gayon Bikol Travel Café was established at the Virac Airport in this capital town while the bath house was put up at the San Andres seaport, one of the key local maritime transport facilities located in the municipality of San Andres. The café was turned over to the Catanduanes provincial government that entrusted its operations to the Catanduanes Producers Association, Inc. (CPAI), a non-government organization involved in local tourism-related ventures.
It would serve as a onestop-shop, comprising tourism information desk, coffee nook and souvenir display center that will cater to the needs of the visiting guests and tourists who always leave economic benefits to the locality and its residents, Ravanilla said. Gov. Joseph Cua, who accepted from the DOT the Gayon Bikol Travel Cafe in behalf of the provincial government, assured that it will do its part in ensuring that the projects will serve their purpose.
He vowed that his administration will do more to develop tourism on the island and attain socioeconomic growth. On the other hand, CPAI president Cesar Angeles said the organization is very glad to be the project beneficiary and promised to make an inventory of sources of local products. Carmel Garcia, provincial tourism officer, said the travel café would offer wifi internet as well as a snack bar, which would be manned by on-the-job trainees from a local vocational school. Under the tripartite undertaking, the province shall supervise and monitor the entrepreneurial venture of CPAI, provide the fixtures and other furnishings, water and electrical connection as well as monthly payment of the bills for the first year of
operation, Garcia said. The province would also shoulder the monthly concessionaire fee to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Virac airport office. It will also provide fixtures, signage and other materials, she added.
The bath house, that will exclusively for use of visitors coming in through the San Andres seaport from Tabaco City in Albay, was turned over to the San Andres municipal government. The information center, put up at the Puraran Resort in Baras town, now serves as courtesy house guides tourists in how to reach their destinations in the province, she said.
All these three projects worth P2 million were completed last week. Ravanilla said the projects were in response to the needs of the growing tourist arrivals in the province who wanted to experience the fascinating the natural wonders of the island that lies at the Pacific Ocean.