Bohol-Palawan team up boosts local ecotourism

CEBU, Philippines - The local ecotourism sector is getting a boost.

This as the provinces of Bohol and Palawan, two of the country's prime tourist destinations, partnered to share best practices to advance ecotourism and development in the two islands.

The partnership is dubbed Bohol-Palawan/Puerto Princesa Tourism and Environmental Programs and Development Policy Exchange, which was recently formalized by Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto and Palawan Gov. Jose Alvarez.

Tagbilaran City and Puerto Princesa City also forged a city sisterhood.

Bohol is one of the key tourist destinations in Central Visayas aside from Cebu.

From January to October 2016, tourist arrivals in Bohol reached 518,404, of which 334,723 were domestic visitors and 183,681 were foreign tourists.

Bohol accounts for 13 percent of domestic arrivals in Central Visayas during the said period and 10 percent of foreign arrivals. 

The United States Agency for International Development – Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (USAID-SURGE) facilitated the exchange program.

The ecotourism program strengthens sustainable tourism and policies on environmental preservation amid the growth and development of the two provinces.

Nature conservation in Palawan is considered a Philippine benchmark that can enrich Bohol’s own innovations and practices for sustainable, enduring ecotourism.

Policy development exchange is deemed essential because the partnership engages local government units.

Bohol and Palawan are both have island towns.

“We share and develop policies during the exchange and policy development exchange has positive long-term implications that will make the program more substantial,” Chatto was quoted as saying in a statement from Bohol provincial government.

Bohol has a new tagline which says "Behold Bohol".

The catchphrase is Bohol’s newest branding as a premiere tourist destination in the country with the support of provincial government’s partners AirAsia Philippines, Department of Tourism and USAID.

Through its COMPETE Project, the USAID has assisted in Bohol’s rehabilitation from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit the province in 2013, particularly in the formulation of the tourism recovery masterplan. (FREEMAN)