The Cebu provincial government will create a board that will enact safety guidelines and policies as well as supervise the operations of eco-adventure parks and resorts that offer “high-risk” recreational activities like canyoneering.
“It was partly in response to (canyoneering guide Aldrin Carba’s death) but it’s always been a part of our meetings from way back,” said Julius Regner, spokesman of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
He said the Provincial Eco Adventure Management Board will implement and enforce certain standards for the safety of tourists and service providers in the tourism industry.
After Carba’s death last July, Regner said the PDRRMO was compelled to hasten the creation of the management board.
Canyoneering means traveling in canyons by climbing, jumping, rappelling and swimming. Tour operators and even mountain and beach resorts, offer similar outdoor activities.
Regner said the board will also manage parks and resorts that don’t offer these services.
Included
“Even if it is just a beach resort, it also needs guidelines (for safety). Mountain resorts that offer trekking activities, etc., are also included,” he said.
Representatives from different sectors will meet on Tuesday this week to discuss the creation of the board and its policies.
They include the Departments of Tourism (DOT), Transportation and Communication (DOTC), and Office of Civil Defense (ODC) in region VII, the private sector and representatives of provincial tourism and engineering offices.
Several tour operators, tour guides and local tourism officers will also attend the meeting, said Regner.
Provincial Board (PB) Members Sun Shimura, chairman of the committee on public safety, Thadeo Ouano of the committee on environmental conservation and natural resources, and Grecilda “Gigi” Sanchez-Zaballero were also invited.
The meeting on Tuesday will help craft a resolution to the PB for approval.
“This is actually a first for the province and Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III is very supportive,” Regner said.
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