Tour guides in Alegria undergo training to better assist tourists. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO).
Two towns in the province of Cebu will get a boost in their tourism industry once funds worth P7.5 million for the building of tourist information centers will be released.
This developed after the Cebu Provincial Board approved two resolutions authorizing Gov. Hilario Davide III to enter into memorandum of agreement with Tabuelan town in northwestern Cebu and Alegria town in southwestern Cebu.
The resolution on the Tabuelan project was sponsored by Board Members Christopher Baricuatro and Jerome Librando which sought to download the amount of P2,000,000 to the said municipality for the construction of the “Tabuelan Tourist Information Center”.
Located on the northwest seaboard of Cebu and about 90 kilometers from the city, Tabuelan is a known destination for its beaches and sandbars.
According to the resolution, the town’s tourism potentials have to be developed in order to maximize economic activities that would generate local jobs and income as well as boost its local tourism industry.
The Alegria resolution was also sponsored by both Board Members, who also sought to download P5,500,000 to the town.
The amount will be used for the construction of the “Alegria Tourist Information Center” as well as the enhancement of the canyoneering site of the town in Canlaob, Compostela.
At present, the southern town of Alegria, located around 113 kilometers from the city, has an existing ecotourism site where canyoneering activities have become a magnet for local and foreign tourists who are into ecotourism adventure sports.
Both resolutions are in line with the thrust of the provincial government to boost the local economy by initiating and promoting tourism programs and projects geared towards the development and growth of the tourism industry.
Canyoneering have gained intense popularity in recent months among both local and foreign tourists, with the southern towns of Alegria and Badian at the forefront.
Definitely not for the faint of heart, the activity, by definition is described as travelling in “canyons” using a variety of techniques that may include other outdoor activities such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), and swimming.
Last September 1, the canyoneering sites in Alegria and Badian were reopened after three months of closure due to safety issues.