BAUKO, Mountain Province – The municipal government recently opened a 25-hectare property in barangay Otucan as an eco-park serving as an added tourist destination for visitor wanting to explore potential spots and the beauty of nature around the province.
Mayor Abraham B. Akilit said the Kalimbatawa nature park has its own picnic groove, trekking area, horseback riding site, venue for big and small gatherings, garden wedding sites and a lot more facilities that will surely entice nature lovers to frequent the locality and enjoy the added value offered to make their stint worthy.
“We were elated over the initial response of the residents and the visitors to the initial offerings available in the proposed eco-park. We just have to continue the implementation of the master plan to complete the conversion of the area into a nature park worthy of spending a break in the town,” Akilit stressed.
He underscored that the operation and administration of the eco-park will be done in close coordination with the barangay officials and the residents as this can be their major source of income, especially when it will be in full operation once all the planned recreational activities shall have been put in place.
According to him, municipal officials and employees enjoyed the scenery of the eco-park when they held their Yuletide activities in the area and visitors are frequenting the place to witness its potentials once the plans for the area shall have been completed by the local government.
The local chief executive explained the initial development of the Kalimbatawa eco-park was being done to convince concerned government agencies for government to extend assistance for the aggressive development and promotion of other tourist spots around the region aside from existing and established tourist destinations.
He underscored ecotourism is the ultimate means by which the town will achieve sustainable development, generate employment for its residents and enhance economic activities and sources of livelihood for people in the different communities without compromising the state of the environment that provides the raison for them to visit the place.
One of the major programs of the municipal mayor is the empowerment of barangay officials to be the active partners in the development and promotion of identified tourist spots in their areas as tourism can serve as the town’s major economic driver to help move the people out of poverty when Bauko becomes the province’s major ecotourist destination.
Akilit emphasized the local government is open to investors interested in putting up various ecotourism facilities in the different barangays to encourage locals and visitors to visit the various destinations in the municipality.
Akilit asserted that the local government is willing to provide interested investors with the necessary incentives for them to be encouraged to put up their businesses in the locality to contribute in the generation of jobs for residents and contribute in increasing economic activities for the people.
By HENT
