City revives upland tourism

CEBU, Philippines — To revive the city’s tourism industry in upland barangays, the Cebu City Tourism Commission recently launched the “Highland Bloom and Ecotourism” project.

 The participating barangays include Tagbao, Malubog, Busay, and Sirao. Cebu City tourism head Jocelyn Pesquera said she wants to showcase the city’s hidden treasures in the mountains aside from its rich cultural and heritage sites.

 She said aside from heritage sites, the city is offering another fabulous tourism sites like waterfalls, caves, mountain resorts, flower farms, overlooking parks, botanical gardens, and uphill restaurants.

Canyoneering and water rafting activities in the mountain barangays are also included in the recently launched tourism project.

Pesquera said the city government is rolling out an extensive tourism campaign showcasing local guides that are trained by the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO).

The city’s tourism industry is still operating on a limited capacity considering that the city remains under modified general community quarantine (MGCQ).

According to Pesquera, the tourism sector is among those heavily affected by the ongoing health crisis.

“Naapektohan gyud og maayo ang tourism industry sa siyudad tungod sa pandemic.  Pinaagi sa atong Highland Bloom and Ecotourism, matabangan sila sa City Government nga mapabangon sila og balik,”  Pesquera said.

Some activities like hiking trail and waterfall catching trail will be opened to experienced hikers only starting this month and are expected to be open for everyone by January next year.

Safety protocols will be set by the tourism commission for the activities to ensure the safety of the visitors.

“Angay ta masayod nga daghang puwedeng suroyan ang Cebu City. Pinaagi niana, atong ma-revive ang atong tourism industry,” Pesquera said. — FPL (FREEMAN)