Skip to main content

Bill seeks to declare Batanes as ecotourism zone

By
By Yvonne Almiranez
PRIB

The Senate approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to declare Batanes as a cultural heritage and ecotourism zone on May 23, 2016.

Sponsored by Senators Francis Joseph “Chiz” Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda, member of the Senate Committee on Tourism, House Bill 6152 seeks to promote and protect Batanes’ ecology and environment as well as its natural and cultural heritage.

Under the bill, the province of Batanes shall be accorded priority of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and shall be subjected to the rules and regulations governing the development of cultural heritage and eco-tourism zone.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said that the measure was part of government efforts to develop a local tourism industry “which is ecologically sustainable, responsible, participative, culturally sensitive, economically viable and equitable for local communities.” 

While infrastructure, human capital, and tourism products and programs in Batanes are being developed, Legarda noted the importance of sustaining the province’s natural and cultural heritage.

“The Province of Batanes offers an amazing landscape, composed of stretches of vivid green fields perched above a rugged coastline, rolling hills and a vast blue sky that seems to constantly reach out to the ocean,” she said. 
She said both the government and the private sector recognized the province's potential to become an ecotourism zone. “In fact, since 2014, Batanes had been experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of tourists visiting the province.” 


She said that the bill would help address the negative impacts of unplanned tourism development in the province: “We do not want this pristine island group to be subjected to abuse and exploitation of tourists, whether intentional or otherwise.”

Meanwhile, the Senate passed on third and final reading a bill seeking to establish the Southwestern Tagalog Region, to be composed of the provinces of Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan, and the cities of Calapan and Puerto Princesa as the MIMAROPA Region.

Senator Jose Victor “JV” Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs and sponsor of House Bill No. 5511, said the measure sought to promote efficiency in the government by administrative decentralization, “accelerate social growth and economic development and improve public services within the region.”

The region is one of the country’s top producers of rice, banana, coconut, mango, cashew, papaya and cassava which are among the country’s top export products while its fish production ranks second in the country. Tourism in the region plays a major role in economic growth contributing 7.8 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Rate in 2014.

The Senate also approved a measure seeking to declare tourism areas in Camiguin, organizing the Camiguin Tourism Council and mandating support for tourism development in the province.

Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, who sponsored House Bill No. 5576, said that the measure seeks to declare certain areas of Camiguin as ecotourism attractions, in particular classifying them Tourism Development Areas (TDAs).  


Mr. Angara noted that while Camiguin was the second smallest province in the Philippines in both land area and population, the island’s natural attractions draw increasingly numerous visitors yearly—with approximately 400,000 visitor arrivals in 2012 alone, from the 250,000 visitors in 2008.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By
By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...
9 comments
Read more

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

By
 Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said.    Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...
Post a Comment
Read more

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

By
BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy.   18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...
Post a Comment
Read more