Cebu reopens tourism sites

CEBU REOPENED its tourism and visitors are slowly flocking to various tourist spots and among them is Malapascua Island where villagers are brimmed with hope and excitement.

The island barangay in Daanbantayan town, northern Cebu is one of the top destinations in the province flocked with local and international tourists before the Covid pandemic. But when quarantine restrictions were imposed in March, all of the island’s locals and businesses lost their livelihood and income.

Cebuanos praised Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for reopening the tourism industry as the province managed to control the spread of Covid-19.

“Pasalamat kaayo ko kay Governor na gi-open na balik ang tourism diri sa isla because for many months, we had no income,” said Gary Cases, owner of Sharktail Dive Shop.

His shop has been operating for the past 19 years, but was forced to close down and his employees were left with no work due to the pandemic.

The same goes for Ramon de Dios, owner of Mabuhay Treasure Dive Resort which started as a food stall in 2005. “Zero (income) gyud for nine months,” he said, adding that he, too, had to let go of his employees as he could no longer sustain the business.

Garcia emphasized that the main goal of reviving the Province’s tourism industry is to bring back the livelihood of the Cebuanos. “As governor, I am responsible for the lives and livelihoods of millions of Cebuanos. I cannot just step back and say the popular thing which is to be scared of Covid right now,” she said.

Instead, she chose to push for the reopening of tourism for the benefit of the daily wage earners whose jobs depended on especially for a tourism-based island like Malapascua.

“Too many people are suffering not because they are afflicted by Covid but because of a Covid-19-afflicted economy,” Garcia said.

Garcia together with the members of the Cebu Provincial Tourism Task Force visited the island recently to deliver the good news to the Logonanons.

Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Shahlimar Tamano also urged Malapascua resort owners and tourism operators to secure the necessary certificates and authorities to operate from DOT, Philippine Commission on Sports SCUBA Diving, and the Cebu Provincial Government so they can resume their operations.

He commended the Executive Order (EO) 20-A issued by Garcia establishing the protocols and guidelines to be followed in the Province’s tourism revival. “This is the most comprehensive EO you will find in the country imposing stricter measures not for the sake of government, but for tourism,” he said.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Assistant Secretary Asteria Caberte committed the agency’s continued support to the tourism revival and other local initiatives geared towards economic recovery.

She said DTI delivered hardware materials to 20 boat operators in Malapascua Island, fulfilling their promise made during the consultation in June. “We hope those 20 will soon be back to income generation again. The conversation doesn’t stop here. We will continue to visit Malapascua,” Caberte added.

Garcia, however, emphasized that the reopening is intended for local tourism at the moment since foreign travels in the country are still restricted. “Let’s not pin all our hopes in international tourism alone, it will come. Let us encourage domestic tourism. That should be a start,” she said, adding that only President Rodrigo Duterte can lift foreign travel restrictions.

She said many domestic tourists expressed relief with the reopening of the industry as they no longer felt the need to compete with foreign tourists. “Cebuanos are now given first priority in our own island because there is no need to fight with foreigners in our tourism activities,” Garcia said.

The governor said she is set to meet with the governors of Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental next month to discuss the reopening of the Central Visayas tourism circuit.

Toledo City also reopened its tourism industry. Known for its natural rock formations, the city has been a favorite destination for rock climbers and enthusiasts, particularly the popular rugged cliff in Barangay Cantabaco. 

Toledo City Mayor Marjorie Perales thanked Garcia for leading the reopening of the local tourism industry. She said local tourists can now visit not just natural and heritage sites, but their solar farms as well in Barangay Calong-Calong and the copper mining museum in Barangay Don Andres Soriano.

Garcia emphasized that the revival of tourism industry aims to help Cebuanos move on with their lives and livelihoods and learn to live with Covid-19 as part of the new normal. "We have to flatten the fear of Covid-19, revive our ravaged economy, and move forward,” she said. “We have to pick up the pieces of our lives and deal with Covid-19. We manage it in a way that, first of all, we have to protect ourselves.” (Lianne Llesol and Eleanor Valeros)

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