Betty’s Botanical Garden in the mountain barangay of Cantipla is among the highland attractions in Cebu City. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
The Cebu City Tourism Commission (CCTC) will use the bulk of its budget this year for the maintenance of various heritage sites and enhancement of tourist destinations in the highlands.
Tetta Baad, commission chair, said the Cebu City government allotted P17 million for the commission this year, P5 million more than its P13 million approved budget last year.
“These funds will be for the maintenance and care of our heritage sites,” Baad said.
She also said the parks and play grounds commission will be brought in to secure some of the heritage sites, such as Plaza Humabon, that are sometimes occupied by street dwellers.
Additional streetlights will also be put in place to make the areas safer at night.
Tour guides in the heritage sites are also currently undergoing retraining to “put everything together,” Baad added.
A portion of the budget will go to the development of tourist attractions in Cebu’s highlands, which are part of the city’s upland tours.
Baad said developing the highlands will be one of the commission’s core thrusts in 2016 to get these destinations ready for the highland tours under Lakbay Lingaw in September.
“We’re pushing tourism development there by linking with certain individuals who we can train to conduct tours. We’re also planning trainings to prepare the communities living there to manage their own attractions,” she said.
Some of the attractions in the highlands are the Satuhan Cave in Barangay Sudlon Uno, Bombahanan Cave in Barangay Sudlon Dos, organic flower farm Betty’s Botanical Garden, and various waterfalls such as the Budlaan and Kabang falls.
The CCTC also plans to develop several hiking or trekking trails for the more adventurous travelers later on.
The organization will also link up with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on the preservation of these natural tourist attractions.