To Make Romblon an Eco–Tourism Hub
By Jeremiah M. Opiniano
In the serenity of sessions at the Romblon State College, Odiongan, Romblon, the country’s marble capital, is passionate sharing about how this “archipelago within an archipelago” can use available natural and human resources for eco-tourism.
While Boracay Island’s tourism program is “miles away,” officials of the US-based Romblon Discussion List – Cultural, Livelihood and Educational Assistance for Romblon (RDL-Clear), local officials and development groups have started to embark on a medium-to-long-term vision to make Romblon carve a niche through eco-tourism.
RDL-Clear executive director Ismael Fabicon, a native of Banton Island, said at this year’s Sanrokan Global Convention that Romblon has coastal and mountainous marvels which can be developed to attract more tourists (sanrokan means “sharing” in the vernacular tongue).
The provincial tourism office, through its newly-printed brochure, enumerated those – the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park (one of the 29 declared eco-tourism sites nationwide), marine sanctuaries in Looc and Romblon towns, beaches such as Lapus-lapus in Calatrava and Aglicay in Alcantara, mountain springs and waterfalls, and caves such as the Guyangan Cave in Banton, where its Banton burial cloth is Southeast Asia’s oldest.
But Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Alice Fetalvero said “Herculean efforts are required.” While the province has formed its provincial and municipal tourism councils under limited budgets, Fetalvero told convention participants that if the communities are not prepared, the tourism efforts will prove to be “very difficult”.
Hotels and inns here, she said, have yet to comply to standards of an “economy class” room, while residents here are not also aware which places in Romblon are “attractions” for tourists.
There are neither travel agencies nor accredited tour guides and any more challenges for Romblomanon tourism are present, said Fetalvero, adding that Romblomanon tourism remains in its infant stage.
“Tourism will not only develop by presenting our natural attractions. Thus, we have to push tourism by helping and preparing our people, whose smiles and hospitality will make them the tourist attractions themselves,” said the province’s head of tourism.
But even if the Philippines and International websites and tourism groups have yet to include Romblon’s wonders in their list of places to see, local groups and residents said these people do not know what they are missing.
US Peace Corps volunteers, for example, have been helping residents of the capital Romblon to develop marine sanctuaries there, said Rey Mores of the non-profit Sentro Para Sa Ika-uunlad ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIKAT). The Americans’ underwater video cameras have frequently captured images of attractive coral and fish species.
Sikat, for 15 years, has been developing Romblon, Romblon as an eco-tourism dive spot, while equipping fishermen and residents to preserve marine sanctuaries. Yet Mores said Romblon remains an unknown diving spot compared to Anilao, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Boracay Island.
Looc town is another marine wonder, where its local government has ably supported its own community–based coastal resource management efforts. The LGU even won a Galing Pook Award in 2000 for its marine conservation program that also helped fishers with livelihood support.
Cultural heritage is also rich here. In Odiongan’s own “baywalk” near the port, children from Banton Island sang folk songs in their local Asi language while residents flocked the town plaza for a “Ms. Odiongan Kuno” gay beauty pageant.
Sanrokan chair Luvie Fopalan-Lumang said efforts here for eco-tourism will also value the preservation of the province’s local cultural heritage.
“Eco-tourism, when properly planned and executed here, offers an alternative that can add value to the local community, while making use of practices that help finance its indigenous culture and protecting the environment, Lumang added.
Romblon, which is 187 nautical miles from Manila, has three major islands – Tablas, sibuyan and Romblon – 17 islets.
The Sanrokan Global Convention is a biennial gathering of RDL – Clear that is now on its third edition. Romblomanons abroad – from the US and Saudi Arabia, for example – supported the staging of the event. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
By Jeremiah M. Opiniano
In the serenity of sessions at the Romblon State College, Odiongan, Romblon, the country’s marble capital, is passionate sharing about how this “archipelago within an archipelago” can use available natural and human resources for eco-tourism.
While Boracay Island’s tourism program is “miles away,” officials of the US-based Romblon Discussion List – Cultural, Livelihood and Educational Assistance for Romblon (RDL-Clear), local officials and development groups have started to embark on a medium-to-long-term vision to make Romblon carve a niche through eco-tourism.
RDL-Clear executive director Ismael Fabicon, a native of Banton Island, said at this year’s Sanrokan Global Convention that Romblon has coastal and mountainous marvels which can be developed to attract more tourists (sanrokan means “sharing” in the vernacular tongue).
The provincial tourism office, through its newly-printed brochure, enumerated those – the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park (one of the 29 declared eco-tourism sites nationwide), marine sanctuaries in Looc and Romblon towns, beaches such as Lapus-lapus in Calatrava and Aglicay in Alcantara, mountain springs and waterfalls, and caves such as the Guyangan Cave in Banton, where its Banton burial cloth is Southeast Asia’s oldest.
But Sangguniang Panlalawigan member Alice Fetalvero said “Herculean efforts are required.” While the province has formed its provincial and municipal tourism councils under limited budgets, Fetalvero told convention participants that if the communities are not prepared, the tourism efforts will prove to be “very difficult”.
Hotels and inns here, she said, have yet to comply to standards of an “economy class” room, while residents here are not also aware which places in Romblon are “attractions” for tourists.
There are neither travel agencies nor accredited tour guides and any more challenges for Romblomanon tourism are present, said Fetalvero, adding that Romblomanon tourism remains in its infant stage.
“Tourism will not only develop by presenting our natural attractions. Thus, we have to push tourism by helping and preparing our people, whose smiles and hospitality will make them the tourist attractions themselves,” said the province’s head of tourism.
But even if the Philippines and International websites and tourism groups have yet to include Romblon’s wonders in their list of places to see, local groups and residents said these people do not know what they are missing.
US Peace Corps volunteers, for example, have been helping residents of the capital Romblon to develop marine sanctuaries there, said Rey Mores of the non-profit Sentro Para Sa Ika-uunlad ng Agham at Teknolohiya (SIKAT). The Americans’ underwater video cameras have frequently captured images of attractive coral and fish species.
Sikat, for 15 years, has been developing Romblon, Romblon as an eco-tourism dive spot, while equipping fishermen and residents to preserve marine sanctuaries. Yet Mores said Romblon remains an unknown diving spot compared to Anilao, Batangas; Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Boracay Island.
Looc town is another marine wonder, where its local government has ably supported its own community–based coastal resource management efforts. The LGU even won a Galing Pook Award in 2000 for its marine conservation program that also helped fishers with livelihood support.
Cultural heritage is also rich here. In Odiongan’s own “baywalk” near the port, children from Banton Island sang folk songs in their local Asi language while residents flocked the town plaza for a “Ms. Odiongan Kuno” gay beauty pageant.
Sanrokan chair Luvie Fopalan-Lumang said efforts here for eco-tourism will also value the preservation of the province’s local cultural heritage.
“Eco-tourism, when properly planned and executed here, offers an alternative that can add value to the local community, while making use of practices that help finance its indigenous culture and protecting the environment, Lumang added.
Romblon, which is 187 nautical miles from Manila, has three major islands – Tablas, sibuyan and Romblon – 17 islets.
The Sanrokan Global Convention is a biennial gathering of RDL – Clear that is now on its third edition. Romblomanons abroad – from the US and Saudi Arabia, for example – supported the staging of the event. /MP mailto:madyaas_pen@yahoo.com
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