Garcia limits number of tourists

CEBU, Philippines —  Tourism sites in Cebu are expected to reopen anytime soon, but with a cap on the number of people allowed in each site per day.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has issued Executive Order (E0) 20-A, setting the carrying capacity and activities of the province’s tourist destinations amid the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the sites is the canyoneering in Alegria and Badian towns. It is only allowed to cater 300 guests daily from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Each canyoneering group shall compose of five tourists and two guides. However, only persons travelling together shall be allowed in a group.

The adrenaline junkies though will only experience jumping off a cliff/waterfall as high as 30 feet.

Moreover, for island hopping, dolphin watching and other related activities, only 50 percent of the boats or bancas’ carrying capacity is allowed. Only persons travelling together shall also be allowed.

Oslob town, for one, is only allowed to accommodate 1,000 guests a day for the whale shark watching activities from 6 a.m. to 12 noon only.

Those who like to go snorkeling and diving are required to purchase or bring their own gears, towels and water tumblers.

"Masks and snorkels are not allowed to be rented out by the establishments but may be sold by the establishments," read the EO.

For those who want to go to the beach, they are required to follow the health guidelines and protocols, including physical distancing.

The EO states that only 50 percent of the maximum carrying capacity of the beach front area shall be occupied. No food and drinks are allowed.

Sightseeing activities are also allowed in tourism areas under the modified general community quarantine.

Under the new EO, the guests must be divided into groups with a maximum of five persons accompanied by one tour guide.

Also, 50 percent carrying capacity should be implemented at the sightseeing sites, such as waterfalls.

For zipline and ATV (all-terrain vehicle) adventures, one person per cable and per bike, respectively, must be observed per trip. The same rule applies to parasailing.

For hiking, trekking, mountaineering and spelunking (caving), the operations start from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. only. Five guests and one professional guide should comprise a group.

Seven-minute intervals between each group and physical distancing are also required for the said activities.

For those who prefer visiting the cultural heritage sites and museums, they are mandated to observe the minimum health standards, such as the one-meter distance rule.

Garcia said personnel of all the tourism sites must wear all the necessary protective equipment, such as a mask, and a face shield.

Proper hygiene and frequent disinfection of areas shall also be implemented for the safety of guests and site personnel.

New Attractions

In preparation for the revival of tourism-related activities, the Municipality of Barili has offered new attractions in a bid to make the town as the "new rockstar in ecotourism adventure in Cebu Island."

These are the dolphin watching in the waters off Barangays Japitan and Hilasgasan, and the Barili all-terrain vehicle adventure with sightseeing points in Barangay Nasipit.

Mayor Marlon Garcia said it took his municipal tourism team two months to be able to determine where the cetaceans (spinners and Fraser's dolphins) appear exactly in their municipal waters, part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.

Municipal Tourism Officer Victor "JR" Vergara said the presence of dolphins is noted a kilometer from the coastlines of Japitan and Hilasgasan.

In a site tour on July 25, Vergara and his team encountered over five pods. He estimated around 200 dolphins in the area.

The municipality is now crafting policies most especially in striking a balance between ecotourism as an economic opportunity in Barili and the continued conservation initiatives in Tan~on Strait and its marine species.

As for an extreme activity, the Barili ATV Adventure is now open to give the adrenaline junkies an "all-time serotonin-high experience" as trail covers a total of 12 kilometers of rough road, mud, cliff and limestone wall, and an awesome vantage view of Tan~on Strait, the western skyline and its perfect display of sunset moments.

The Barili ATV Adventure costs ranging from P600 to P800 per head depending on the level of difficulty. There are three phases to the finishing line which is at the Bangaglapus Cave, another tourist spot in the municipality.

This activity forms part of the tourist packages that visitors may sign up through a provincial online booking portal now under construction. The other packages are a beachineering experience in Sayaw and a sightseeing activity in Mantayupan Falls.  KQD (FREEMAN)