GLAN, Sarangani (December 28, 2011) — After almost a year in the works, the Glan Tourism Master Plan is finally out. On Tuesday (December 27), the GTMP was brought out during a simple but fitting turnover ceremony at the Glan Training Center, with Mayor Victor James B. Yap, Sr. accepting the 100-page document on behalf of the Municipality of Glan. Glan is home to the famous Gumasa white sand beaches and scenic resorts. “Our most sincere gratitude to the Asia Foundation, the Notre Dame Business Research Cooperative Foundation, Inc., the Technical Working Group and to all those who, in one way or the other, helped put together this great work whose profound and positive impact on the community will surely be felt in the years to come,” said Yap in brief remarks. The mayor expressed elation at this development as it would now help guide the local government on how to go about developing the local tourism industry in a most systematic and judicious manner. “Our approach to tourism development should be one of sustained growth and at the same time protect our environment and other equally vital components of the local economy—agriculture, fishing, livestock, etc.,” he said. He disclosed that there had been suggestions, even premature moves, to let the mining people come in, but he had to put his foot down. “We in the local government believe that tourism remains our best bet for economic development and prosperity, and mining will defeat our purpose because of its potential damage to the environment.” “Mining will eventually destroy our fine white beaches and other potential tourist spots. So, either we go into tourism or none at all,” he added. The Mindanao Tourism Council was chiefly responsible for the formulation of the plan, with the TWG providing the data and the all-important inputs without which the plan would not have come about. “The challenge now is for the local government to carry out the plan to the letter and for the private sector to do its share for all its worth. It should be private-public partnership in action,” said Jonallier Perez, MTC secretary and GTMP consultant, whom Vice Mayor Vivien Yap described as “the genius behind the GTMP.” “Otherwise, the GTMP would be another item gathering dust in the bookshelf,” he said. For her part, Vice Mayor Yap, who headed the Technical Working Group, said the GTMP was a dream come true for her, having thought of coming up with such a plan since five years ago. “With the GTMP already on hand, our dream of a sustained and progressive tourism industry will soon become a reality,” she said. She assured all parties concerned that as called forth in the plan, the Sangguniang Bayan would take the necessary steps to have the Municipal Tourism Office set up next year. “Tourism will also get bigger appropriations and other incentives from the local government,” she said. (GLAN INFO AND NEWS SERVICE)

By ARIEL LALISAN ALABEL, Sarangani (December 1, 2011) – In the early morning of November 26, more than a hundred people gathered at the James L. Chiongbian Provincial Capitol building. That day was a big day for Sarangani Province as it celebrates its 19th Foundation Anniversary and 9th MunaTo Festival. But those who gathered at the Capitol lobby that morning did not come for the festivities. They came for three important causes: tourism, education, and environment. From as far as Davao and North Cotabato and from the neighboring cities of General Santos and Koronadal and the province of South Cotabato, mountaineering enthusiasts participated in the 1st MunaTo EcoTrek to Atnayan Waterfalls in sitio New Canaan, barangay Pag-asa in Alabel. The sun shone brightly as we rode three dump trucks from the Capitol compound. Looks like God answered our prayer, I told myself. Our biggest fear is for heavy rain to pour down because, as per experience, when it rains, the water level in the river can rise in no time and begin to inundate the riverbanks. So it was a blessing that the sky was clear that morning. The mountaineers couldn’t hide their excitement as we started rolling. They got even more spirited as we were nearing barangay Pag-asa, where their eyes feasted on a panoramic view of the valley. They even enjoyed it when the trucks started to cross the river, thus the ride became all bumpy. After more than an hour of balancing stunts, we reached our jump off point for the trek. The books and seedlings were distributed to each participant. The books were wrapped in plastic to prevent them from getting wet. God had been very good to send us low-lying clouds when we started the trek. All through the trek, it did not get very hot for the trekkers. The participants crossed the river 23 times and traversed hills to reach sitio New Canaan. Not only did they have to endure the distance and the difficult trail, each of them carried additional weight due to the books and the seedlings. Three-and-a-half hours later, we were already at sitio New Canaan, where the mountaineers built a tent city at our camp site. After which, we started planting the seedlings we brought. There were Acacia, Mahogany, and Spanish cedar. We did not want our efforts to go to waste; we chose an area where the locals can take care of the newly-planted trees. Barangay Kagawad Diansing Sampayon of Pag-asa assured us that he will see to it that the trees we planted will survive. During the welcome night, representatives from each participating mountaineering group were very thankful to have been given the chance not only to visit a new place but to also serve others by delivering books to the school and by planting trees. They said that they found the activity very meaningful. When I and my fellow Team Bundol Mountaineers conceptualized the activity, we emphasized that it should not just be a trekking to see the Atnayan Waterfalls. My team wanted to do a sort of an outreach activity. So, we set our objectives that included promoting tourism, supporting the National Greening Program, and the Karunungan Kontra Kahirapan program of the local government of Sarangani, and eventually, facilitating progress in the area. The 1st MunaTo EcoTrek was hosted by Team Bundol Mountaineers, in cooperation with Madyaw Alabel Mountaineers Association (MAMA), and Magu Sarangani Mountaineers. It was almost an impossible dream for Team Bundol Mountaineers to organize such an activity given our limited resources, skills, and connection. We are thankful to MAMA, under the leadership of Narciso Grafilo IV, for rendering service by setting up the trail, acting as marshalls, and providing security and safety for the participants, and to Magu Sarangani Mountaineers, led by Alma Corazon Gabuat, for linking us to the MunaTo Festival organizers and for helping provide transportation and logistical support. The activity turned out to be an overwhelming success. Furthermore, we owe a lot from Quality Education for Sarangani Today (QuEST) for providing the books. We are also indebted to the provincial government of Sarangani, tourism office, office of the provincial engineer, environment and natural resources office, and the municipal government of Alabel, especially to Vice Mayor Vic Paul Salarda. If there is only one way to measure the success of the activity, it would be the mountaineers shaking hands with you and personally telling you how grateful they are to have been involved in the activity. For me, there is not greater success than to inspire others to also start doing good things for the Earth and for other people. (Ariel Lalisan/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 29, 2011) – Mountaineers plant acacia, mahogany, and Spanish cedar saplings at sitio New Canaan, barangay Pag-asa during the 1st MunaTo EcoTrek over the weekend. The eco-trek aimed to promote eco-tourism, advocate the protection of the province’s natural resources and drumbeat sustainable development in the local community. (Ariel Lalisan/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 29, 2011) – More than a hundred mountaineers from Sarangani and nearby provinces and cities crossed rivers and traversed hills to deliver books for the pupils and students of New Canaan Integrated School as part of the 1st MunaTo EcoTrek last weekend. (Ariel Lalisan/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (November 29, 2011) – Mountaineers rest at their final destination, the Atnayan Falls, after a tree-planting activity during the 1st MunaTo EcoTrek. The trek was participated in by 13 mountaineering clubs and freelancers from Kabacan, Cotabato; Tupi, South Cotabato; Koronadal City, General Santos City and Sarangani. A total of 80 mountaineering enthusiasts conquered Atnayan Falls during the weekend. (Ariel Lalisan/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

BONGAO, TAWI-TAWI—Once considered one of the most inaccessible provinces in the country, Tawi-Tawi is experiencing a surge in business activity and investor interest. Through a partnership between the Philippines and U.S. Governments, the Tawi-Tawi airport runway was upgraded.

This month, Cebu-Pacific begins new commercial flight routes daily from Zamboanga City to Sanga-Sanga airport in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, using an Airbus A319.

Earlier, Airphil Express began flying a 77-seater along the same route, with connecting flights to Manila and Davao.

“The presence of two commercial airlines means more competitive transport rates, which is good for business,” said a local entrepreneur.

The Department of Transportation and Communications, the provincial government of Tawi-Tawi, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program implemented the runway project.

“Linking Tawi-Tawi to the rest of the country and the world is in line with the Philippine Government’s efforts to ensure the physical integration of Mindanao through major transport infrastructure,” said Secretary Luwalhati Antonino, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, which oversees implementation of USAID’s GEM Program.

The Tawi-Tawi runway was extended by USAID from 1,608 to 1,920 meters, and widened from 18 to 30 meters. It is now all-concrete, and able to accommodate larger aircraft such as Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s.

“The A319 has a large cargo hold, which is convenient for shipping live fish to buyers in Manila, Hongkong and other destinations, without having to repack the cargo,” said Nazrullah Masahud, vice president of the Tawi-Tawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He added that the air links would support the expansion of the mariculture industry in Tawi-Tawi, which is home to the Sulu Archipelago’s only multi-species hatchery, which was established with assistance from USAID.

The chamber and the provincial government worked with the airlines and the CAAP to expedite the establishment of the new flights.

Previously, most travelers going from Zamboanga to Tawi-Tawi had no choice but to endure a seventeen-hour ferry ride.

The easy access by air has drawn investors and domestic tourists to the picturesque island-province, where in recent months two small beachside hotels have opened, in addition to the expansion of existing resorts.

“The number of rooms is still limited, but already one group is proposing to hold a small convention here,” said Masahud.

“The diving association has had so many inquiries, it’s now working to mark key dive sites, from sunken vessels to coral walls,” he added.

Redentor Lauddin, director of the Tawi-Tawi Board of Investments-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said that Malaysian investors had expressed interest in linking Tawi-Tawi with the thriving tourism industry in nearby Sabah.

“Tourism links are part of our development strategy under the Mindanao 2020 plan, which aims to establish seamless connections for trade and tourism,” said Secretary Antonino.

In addition to resort development, there are investment opportunities in power generation, cold storage, and housing development which are opening up in the wake of the new flight routes, said Lauddin.

“There is strong local demand for ‘executive-type’ townhomes and middle-income housing in general,” Lauddin said.

The upgrading of the Bongao airport runway was a USAID Regional Impact Project, or RIP. Such projects are designed to have a transformative impact on the economic development of a province or group of adjoining municipalities, and help to catalyze the expansion and emergence of business and industry.

The Institute for Socio-Economic Development Initiatives (ISFI) at Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), employing surveys and focus group discussions, recently completed a study of the impact of USAID’s infrastructure projects in Mindanao.

According to the ISFI-ADDU study, the Tawi-Tawi runway project has the highest benefit-cost ratio among the 28 RIP projects covered by the study, bringing in a return of 3.90 pesos for every peso invested in the project.

With the start of the new air route by Cebu Pacific, these benefits will likely increase.

Among the RIP infrastructure projects in Mindanao—totaling 48 to date—are bridges, ports (including roll-on, roll-off boat ramps) municipal water systems, roads, and airport upgrades.

The regular air service also provides Tawi-Tawi residents with improved access to government, medical and banking services on the Mindanao mainland.

Businessman Alvin Tan noted the increased travel among residents, and the influx of new goods, products and ideas.

He says it was his longtime dream to provide perfectly frozen ice cream to customers at his shopping center in Bongao.

“The air cargo handlers not only give me a better deal, the ice cream arrives in prime condition,” Tan said.

He added: “Seeing possibilities, I hope that the next generation will stay on here in Tawi-Tawi, instead of moving elsewhere to do business.”