Korean agency helps craft tourism plan for Boljoon
The Nuestra Señora Patrocinio de Maria Church is one of the tourist attractions of Boljoon town in southern Cebu. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) will help Boljoon town in southern Cebu formulate its five-year tourism development and marketing plan.
Ronald Villanueva, municipal tourism officer-designate, said the Korean agency chose Boljoon as the beneficiary of a two-year volunteer program.
“For two years, a Korean volunteer will help us plan for and create an inventory of tourist attractions found in the municipality and how we can develop them,” he told Cebu Daily News.
The Boljoon municipal council has authorized Mayor Merlou Derama to sign a memorandum of agreement with KOICA on March 20.
Boljoon, a fifth-income class town in southern Cebu, is known for its culture and heritage sites.
The 18th century Baroque church, Nuestra Señora de Patrocinio de Maria Church, is a National Cultural Treasure and a National Historical Landmark.
In 2008, archaeologists unearthed 26 human remains with china plates on top of their heads and other 16th-century artifacts under the parvis of the church.
Boljoon is also famous for the scenic white limestone cliff called Ili Rock.
Villanueva said that once tourists get to tour the heritage sites in the town, they ask for more.
“The heritage site market is so saturated that’s why we are trying to develop our ecotourism destinations,” he said.
He said they plan to develop a marine sanctuary and dive site in Barangays Arbor and Granada as well as the Daghay Falls in Barangay Upper Beceril, 12 kilometers from the municipal hall in Barangay Poblacion.
Boljoon has nine registered accommodation establishments with a total of 101 rooms.
Last year, 5,416 local and foreign tourists visited the once sleepy town.
Of this number, 1,379 were either Europeans or Americans and the rest were local tourists.
Villanueva said he expected this number to grow, so there is a need to develop more tourism products as well.
Villanueva said the two-year program will be funded by the Korean government without equity from the municipality, although he said he does not know how much they will be spending.
The Korean volunteer is still in Manila for a month-long orientation on Philippine Culture.
Villanueva said the volunteer will fly to Cebu on March 8 and spend a week immersed in the town’s tourism office.
After that, the volunteer will return to Manila to continue training and come back to Cebu on March 20 for the formal turnover and signing of the MOA.
“The volunteer will then stay here for two years. We will extend help in whatever way we can, provide a workspace and all the supplies that are needed,” said Villanueva.
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