Eco7Pass launched
The provincial government is pushing for ‘destination stewardship’ in promoting the different tourism destinations in Negros Oriental.
“Simply put, ‘Destination Stewardship’ is caring for the places where tourism is involved. Ultimately, it is striking a balance between the needs of locals and visitors, while maintaining the cultural, environmental, and economic integrity of the place,”said Woodrow Maquiling Jr., executive director of the Provincial Tourism Board.
This he revealed during the Regional Ecotourism Committee meeting held last week at the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park, attended by Environment & Natural Resources Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor Jr., Regional Chief Tourism Operations Officer Dr. Gelena Asis-Dimpas, Provincial Environment & Natural Resources Officer Engr. Viernov Grefalde, and other stakeholders from Bohol, Cebu, and Siquijor.
After the meeting, Eco7Pass, an “ecotourism passport” was launched as a micro-record of a visitor’s experiences in the different local sites with distinct ecological and social significance in Central Visayas. The Eco7Pass is a collaboration undertaking of the Regional Ecotourism Committee, and sponsored by both regional offices of Tourism and of DENR.
Maquiling said he had espoused last year the principle of ‘destination stewardship’ as a priority advocacy in the crafting and implementation of the programs, activities, and projects on tourism.
The Eco7Pass provides the tourist in Central Visayas with rewards and incentives for supporting the Region’s sustainable development initiatives.
Incentives include visits to the Apo Island Protected Landscape & Seascape and the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park in Negros Oriental; the Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape and the Candijay-Anda-Mabini Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve & Wilderness Area in Bohol; and the Mt. Bandilaan Forest Reserve in Siquijor.
In Cebu, tourists can visit the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the Cebu Central Protected Landscape, the Bantayan Island Wilderness Area, and the Camotes Island Protected Landscape & Seascape.
Maquiling said a visit to any of these natural wonders will help contribute to the sustainability of the Region’s “precious natural resources, and [help] the communities protecting them”. (PR)
