The pressure to complete regulations and policies on canyoneering and other extreme sports activities shifted to the Cebu provincial government following reports that tour guides have resumed offering these packages despite a suspension issued last July.
The suspension, which stemmed from the death of tour guide Aldrin Carba, weighed heavily on tour operators who rely on the continued influx of tourists brave and adventurous enough to venture out into the least beaten path of canyoneering, which generated interest in 2009 after being promoted by national TV news programs.
Despite Carba’s death, many tourists are still interested in canyoneering.
Tour guide John Belle Ortega admits accepting 20 guests from Cebu and Manila early this month — an indication that the tour operators and tour guides won’t lose a lucrative source of income anytime soon.
We hope these guests will be safe in their canyoneering trip and share their positive experiences with friends back home.
Still, Carba’s death casts a long shadow on canyoneering and other extreme eco-adventure sports that cannot be dispelled despite assurances of safety by tour guides and tour operators.
Tourist activities like white water rafting usually require participants to sign a waiver that absolves operators of responsibility in case of any accident that may occur during the trip.
But the waiver becomes a mere piece of paper once an accident occurs. The operators will still be liable. Since it is better to err on the side of caution, operators should make sure that the guests are properly equipped to ensure their safety.
Similar arrangements may have been followed by canyoneering guides and operators, though considering that the program also consists of rappelling and climbing which are specialized skills, we ask if the guides and the operators take enough time to screen the capabilities of the participants they’re accepting into their tour.
There were reports that Carba was trying to help one of the participants make a jump into the Kanlaon River in Alegria town despite inclement weather that fateful day on July 26.
With guidelines on canyoneering and similar activities still being worked out by the Cebu provincial government and Baltazar Tribunalo, the province’s disaster risk reduction and management chief, saying these tour guides won’t be penalized for continuing to offer these tour packages, it is up to the participants to ensure their safety should they decide to push through with their canyoneering trip.
It’s not just about earning a profit because tour guides need additional income not only to support their families but also to spend for the cost of gear and even training.
We hope the provincial government sits down and finalizes the guidelines for these tour activities, which if regulated well, can provide both enjoyment and a boost to Cebu’s tourism.
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