4x4 adventure at the La Paz sand dunes in Laoag City (Photo courtesy of Tina Tan and LEAD) |
By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
Laoag
City—Off-road vehicles carrying tourists seeking
extraordinary adventure at the Ilocos Norte sand dunes will now subjected to
stricter regulation to ensure the safety of tourists and at the same time
protect this natural geological monument which has now become an additional
livelihood for some local residents here.
Edward Tabili, 40, of Brgy. Nagbacalan
in Paoay, Ilocos Norte, said driving a 4x4 vehicle is much more exciting than
driving a public utility jeepney or a passenger bus he used to drive.
According to Mr. Tabili,
driving thrilled passengers while they are screaming out loud on-board his
yellow 4x4 vehicle owned by his employer is quite interesting as he also find
excitement driving an off-road trail of the vast hilly sand dunes overseeing
the West Philippine Sea.
For every unit of 4x4 vehicle
with about 4-5 passengers, off-roaders usually charge them for at least P2,500
for an hour’s drive.
In fact, 4x4 vehicle
operation in the province and the birth of sand boarding introduced by a group
of fun-loving Ilocanos here, has grown into a regular livelihood for some
Ilocanos as this became a big hit among extreme sports enthusiasts and
adventure-seeking foreign and local tourists here.
To ensure proper management
and preservation of the Ilocos sand dunes, Draft Provincial Ordinance No. 2014-06-026
sponsored by Sangguniang Panlalawigan ex-officio member Domingo Ambrocio Jr. who
wants proper accreditation of off-roaders.
Along with proper
accreditation, it has been proposed that they should also undergo proper
training in terms of emergency and basic tourism training particularly on how
to deal with tourists.
While deliberating on the
salient provisions of the 4x4 vehicle ordinance on Jan. 19, members of the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan opted to defer the ordinance on its second reading to
allow other concerned groups and individuals to be affected by the proposed
legislation to voice out also their concern prior to its final approval.
Under the proposed ordinance,
every owner of 4x4 vehicle shall pay a registration fee of P2,000 and a sticker fee
of P200.00 per vehicle owned.
Aside from securing business
registration and license to operate, no person shall drive or operate a 4x4 vehicle at the sand dunes
without a certificate of accreditation duly issued by the Ilocos Norte Tourism
Office.
The INTO in collaboration
with the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, Department of
Public Safety and the Philippine National Red Cross shall also issue safety
permits of all accredited 4x4 vehicles aside from securing a separate permit from the Land
Transportation Office which include a group insurance policy.
Once approved, non-compliance
of said ordinance shall be penalized ranging from P 2,000 to P5,000 or
imprisonment of not more than one year or both, upon discretion of the court
and possible disqualification to engage in any tourism-related business.
The proposed ordinance
however received several reactions as some of the sand dunes areas where they
operate belong to some private lot owners.
At present, there are at
least four areas where off-road vehicles operate. These are in La Paz in Laoag
City and some areas in Suba, Culili point, and Bacsil-Mumulaan all in Paoay
town.
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