Bontoc – Mayor Franklin C. Odsey recently visited one of the trending sea of clouds viewing area in municipality – Mt. Pukis.
Together with personnel from the Municipal Tourism and Information Office, Mayor Odsey inspected the potential tourism site to assess its present state and explore possibilities of improvement in the area.
Mt. Pukis became a famous site for the people of Bontoc since the municipality was under community quarantine. It offers a magnificent view of the sun rise and sea of clouds covering the whole four central barangays. Social media posts of this stunning site have created a craze and have prompted groups/families to visit the Mt. Pukis and see it for themselves.
However, jogging/trekking enthusiasts frequenting the area were disappointed with how some sightseers have been handling their waste not just in the Mt. Pukis but also in other tourism sites nearby. The Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) of the central barangays have been conducting clean-up drives and information, education campaigns (IECs) online to remind our constituents to manage their waste and maintain cleanliness in places they visit. Relative to this, Mayor Odsey reminded the public to be conscious of our environment and dispose our garbage properly. He added that with the recent approval of the 10-year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan of Bontoc, there is the need to sustain the efforts initiated by the municipal government in terms of waste management, and the community’s involvement is necessary for the success of the said plan.
It can be recalled that on March 9, 2020, the Municipal Mayor issued Executive Order No. 10 which temporarily suspends tourism activities in the Bontoc due to COVID-19, and is still in effect as of writing. However, on October 28, 2020, the Municipal Inter-Agency Task Force, with the consent of barangay officials, has allowed inter-barangay tourism activities in the municipality but with strict adherence to health protocols.
In an interview, Mayor Odsey expressed high hopes that with the continuous roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, Bontoc may soon open its door again to tourists so for our tourism stakeholders to recover. But while the municipality is yet to accept tourists, the Bontoc LGU is taking advantage of the time to capacitate its tourism stakeholders and further improve existing tourism sites. He pledged that the municipal government shall be funding developments in Alab Oriente to further improve and protect the Alab Petroglyph and Ganga Caves, which are considered as national cultural treasures.
By Caren R. Guinayen
Photo lifted from Bontoc facebook page
