ShareThisZAMBOANGA CITY—Mayor Celso Lobregat has created a committee to assess and evaluate ecotourism potentials of identified barangays in this southern port city and to formulate its development program.
The committee was created after Lobregat met with the tourism stakeholders to seek ways on how to diversify tourism benefits to the barangays by developing potential tourist attractions such as waterfalls and caves.
The committee, chaired by Lobregat, is composed of City Tourism Officer Sarita Hernandez as the executive officer.
The members are representatives from the city council, Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR), City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), City General Service Office (CGSO), City Engineer’s Office (CEO), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), barangay officials and private groups.
Lobregat said the duties and responsibilities of the committee include the participation in an orientation by the DOT based on the module for community-based tourism/ecotourism; assessment and evaluation of ecotourism potentials of identified barangays using an acceptable criteria matrix as a tool prepared and adopted by the committee in selecting priority sites for development and formulation and recommendation for approval by the mayor the site-specific ecotourism development program for the priority sites.
As the need arises, the committee may create and constitute a technical working group to conduct further ecological studies and or environmental assessment on the impact of tourism aspects and introduced developments to the community and environmental resources.
Lobregat initiated the meeting following observations on the presence of natural scenic spots, resources, customs and unique cultural traditions in various barangays that can very well help in the promotion of rural of community-based tourism.
These so-called tourist potentials include the Merloquet waterfalls in Barangay Sibulao, Udjung waterfalls in Barangay Dulian-Upper Bunguiao, and the caves in the barangays of Salaan and Manicahan—all in east coast—and the Busay waterfalls in Barangay San Roque and the Nancy waterfalls in Barangay La Pa—all in the west coast.
Lobregat, three councilors, some city government personnel and barangay officials recently trekked into the rugged and steep terrain of Barangay Dulian-Upper Bunguiao and discovered a waterfalls that plunge down a narrow drop-off into a natural pool where one can go for a refreshing swim.
Lobregat said the waterfalls is only one of the numerous hidden potentials in the rural areas which can provide strong foundation to promote ecotourism or adventure tourism.
If developed and promoted properly, these natural resource can bring tourism benefits to the barangays and help create employment, Lobregat stressed.