Updated Phl ecotourism action plan launched

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has launched its updated National Ecotourism Strategies and Action Plan for the next 10 years at the 5th World Ecotourism Conference (WEC) in Cebu City.

Tourism Assistant Secretary Arturo Boncato Jr. said the plan would provide a framework on the overall ecotourism plan of the country for 2013-2022.

“This would define our policy direction with regard to ecotourism involving the government and as many stakeholders as possible to achieve sustainable, clearer and more defined framework on protecting our environment while at the same time, promoting tourism sites,” he said.

“Each destination will have to focus on individual ecotourism plan and development,” he added.

Among the highlights of the plan are the promotion of national and cultural heritage, and protection of natural and indigenous resources while encouraging more community participation.

“In the conference, we tried to involve as many stakeholders specifically the local government units (LGUs) and the private sector in the implementation of the national ecotourism agenda,” he said.

“The policy direction of the plan would guide us on what not to do and what to do with regard to ecotourism matters,” he added.

Boncata also said one of the highlights of the conference was the transfer of the stewardship of the National Ecotourism Council Steering Committee from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to the Department of Tourism. The two departments take turn in manning the council every three years.

Helping coastal communities

Meanwhile, the DENR said putting ecotourism at the forefront of the government’s development priorities would help coastal communities affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda to rise up from the devastation.

Speaking at the WEC last Thursday, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said this is the reason why the government allotted $22 million or P1 billion for mangrove and beach forests in disaster-risk areas in the country.

“The fund will be used to provide socioeconomic benefits to affected local communities and the program will, in the long run, mitigate the negative impacts of climate change,” Paje said.

He also said the devastation brought by Yolanda compels the government to step up its campaign for sustainable travel practices that promote conservation of protected natural areas while benefiting local economies.

“In the wake of the killer typhoon, the government has forged measures that will be part of a comprehensive program on environmental protection. Sustainable resource-use strategies shall be promoted all throughout the country wherein one of the key activities is ecotourism development,” he added.

Paj also underscored the need to provide alternative livelihood to coastal communities to curb the country’s high dependence on coastal and marine resources, which was characterized by destructive resource extraction practices that resulted in the devastation of ecosystems as in the case of Yolanda.

“It was clear that due to lack of natural barriers in the coastlines, the communities were highly devastated by storm surges sending five-meter high, tsunami-like waves,” Paje said.

The WEC, one of the world’s biggest tourism events, was attended by more than 400 foreign and local delegates, including representatives of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, Pacific Asia Travel Association, DENR, DOT, the private sector and LGUs.

The WEC aims to pool political, financial and intellectual resources to empower both public and private sector practitioners, professionals and stakeholders in engaging and enforcing sustainable and practical tourism development policies and practices in every aspect of tourism development, management, financing and marketing.

The 5th WEC was supposed to be held last November but was moved to Feb. 20 due to the onslaught of Yolanda. – With Rhodina Villanueva