Dolphin watching is among the new new tourism offerings that the town of Barili will be offering as the province reopens its tourism industry. (Contributed Photo/ Barili Tourism Office)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The sightings of dolphins off the coast of Barili town in the southwestern part of Cebu will be its newest tourism offering, along with all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trails, as the town prepares to establish itself as an ecotourism destination in the province.
In a statement, the town said that with the continued sightings of dolphins in the waters of Barangays Japitan and Hilasgasan, the dolphin-watching activity would soon be offered as an “added experience” to ecotours travel.
Barili’s coast is part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, the body of water between Cebu province and Negros Island that has rich biodiversity.
Tañon Strait is also known to be a habitat for cetaceans and large marine mammals. |
The dolphin sightings begin from about 30 minutes after departing the wharf of Barangay Japitan, Garcia said.
The mayor said it the municipal tourism team two months to determine the spot where the spinners and Fraser’s dolphins appeal.
The dolphins that have been sighted in the waters off Barili town include the spinners and the Frasers dolphins. (Contributed Photo/Barili Tourism Office)
Municipal Tourism Officer Victor “JR” Vergara, in a site tour last Saturday, July 25, said the dolphin sightings that day were of many firsts.
Vergara said it was the first time that the dolphins began to show up within only five minutes from the boat’s departure from the wharf.
“In our previous experiences, they come in two to four groups but this time, we counted at most eight groups,” Vergara said in Cebuano.
Vergara estimated that there are about 200 dolphins that show up in the municipal waters.
Mayor Garcia said the town is crafting a resolution to establish the guidelines for the balancing of ecotourism, economic opportunity, and conservation of the protected seascape.
Vergara, on the other hand, said frontliners for the tourism activity were set to be trained under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR-7) environmental management specialists this coming July 30 to 31.
“This will help our tourism team and guides to understand better the dos and don’ts in dolphin watching. We do not want to mess up with environmental regulations. Mao sad ni nga dili pa ni nato madali-dali og open to our tourists kay gusto nato nga i-comply from ordinance to permits, aron nga dili gyud ta makaligis og mga balaud sa protection aning mga dolphins,” Vergara said.
(We do not want to mess up with the environmental regulations. That is the reason we cannot just open it quickly to our tourists because we want to comply with all the requirements from ordinance to permits so that we will not violate laws on the protection of the dolphins.)
Vergara added that a marine biologist would also be a part of the tourism key staff to further improve their research, documentation, and information awareness on dolphins.
As the province is already under the modified general community quarantine since last July 10, the town’s ATV Adventure offering is now open.
The all-terrain vehicle adventure is in the town’s Barangay Nasipit covering a total of 12 kilometers of rough road, mud, cliff and limestone wall, and with a vantage view of Tañon Strait and the western skyline where picturesque sunsets can be seen.
The Barili ATV Adventure costs from around P600 to P800 per head depending on the level of difficulty. There are three phases to the finishing line which is at the Bangaglapus Cave, another tourist spot in the municipality.
The two new tourism offerings in the town are added to its other tour packages including “beachineering” experience in Sayaw and a sightseeing in Mantayupan Falls.
READ: Oslob’s whale watching to lead reopening of Cebu’s tourism industry
Tourism activities in the province, under Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s Executive Order No. 20-A, are availed through the online booking system that is now being developed by the Capitol./dbs