BAUKO, Mountain Province – The municipal government is setting its sights on the potentials of the local tourism industry to spur the town’s growth and development towards enhancing the economic activities and sources of livelihood of the people.
The municipality hosts towering majestic mountains appropriate for trekking, aside from scenic vegetable farms, waterfalls and rivers for recreation purposes complimented by the cool weather that serves as a natural pull for nature lovers.
Mayor Randy Awisan reported that the recent successful conduct of the town’s Begnas di Bauko festival showed the readiness of the municipality to accommodate foreign and domestic visitors wanting to explore the various tourist destinations of the town and thus, contribute to people’s and community economic development.
He pointed out that the need to maximize the town’s potentials to improve the local economy and place Bauko in the map of must-see destinations in the central Cordillera, being the gateway for visitors wanting to visit Sagada and even Banaue in Ifugao and the villages of upper Kalinga.
The municipal chief executive believes that what is important is for the visitors to consider dropping by the municipality and have the chance to visit its tourist destinations before proceeding to their other destinations in the central Cordillera and discover unexplored ecotourism spots that can be equated with similar destinations in other places.
According to him, aggressive tourism promotion will definitely boost the growth of the local tourism industry by enticing visitors to include in their respective itinerary their visit to the municipality’s tourist destinations.
Bauko is the most populated municipality in the province having 22 barangays within the Mount Data plateau where nature blends well with the culture and heritage of the people.
The mayor stated that the bright prospects of the town’s tourism industry will definitely help in the sustainability of the existing accommodation establishments that will generate employment of residents and provide them with livelihood opportunities.
The municipal government will closely work with the private sector and encourage private property owners to develop their idle properties in the municipality as tourist sites or accommodations that can contribute in attracting foreign and domestic visitors to visit Bauko. By Dexter A. See
