The provincial government is launching a community based eco-tourism project in five towns and one city in midwest Cebu.
Joselito “Boboi” Costas, Capitol adviser on tourism product development, said the Cebu Community-Based Midwest Eco-Tourism Project advocates the conservation of natural sites and well-being of host communities.
“I’m happy that the provincial government focused on eco-tourism, especially community-based. I am hoping more will espouse the idea of sustainable tourism,” he said in yesterday’s Capitol press briefing.
A team led by Costas identified the towns of Aloguinsan, Pinamungajan, Balamban, Asturias, Tuburan and Tabuelan along with Toledo City as pilot areas.
“After typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), projects have poured in the northern part of Cebu to help tourism sites recover. In the south, we know that the areas there have been making significant strides in tourism. The only portion left to develop is the midwest,” Costas said.
Extra income
Costas said the identified pilot areas are all part of the Tañon Strait, the body of water between Cebu and Negros island , which is also the country’s largest protected seascape.
The eco-tourism thrust will also help rural families earn extra income.
Costas said the project will produce more tourism packages in Cebu and stimulate the growth of local economies while still preserving the environment.
“The only community-based tourism site in Cebu right now is found in Aloguinsan.” he said.
Aloguinsan, a fourth class municipality, 59 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, is known for its Bojo river cruise.
Costas said the town’s eco-tourism development began in 2009. Today four organized communities are managing the sites.
The Bojo River cruise has attracted local and foreign visitors.
From January to May this year, the municipal government earned P1.9 million from the river cruise alone.
Costas said his team is looking at developing dolphin watching activities off the coast of Aloguinsan.
Protected seascape
About 15 minutes from the shore of barangay Poblacion on a motorized boat ride, spinner dolphins can be spotted.
Since the waters of Aloguinsan are part of the Tañon Strait protected seascape, other species, like bottle-nosed dolphins, spotted dolphins, and dwarf sperm whales, as well as schools of tuna, can also be seen in the area.
The town recently received P1.9 million from the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) bottom-up budgeting program, that will be used to purchase a glass-bottom boat for coral watching.
Since May this year, Costas and his team have been training housewives to become guides for possible dolphin watching activities.
Costas is working with the University of the Philippines Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology for the training.
If all goes well, tourists may get to watch dolphins in Aloguinsan before summer next year.