DOT allots P1.4B for Albay tourism dev't

MANILA, Philippines - Albay’s tourism program received a major boost after the Department of Tourism approved a P1.4-billion tourism infrastructure package for the province.

This, according to the provincial government, will allow Albay to shift its development thrust and focus on tourism and agriculture following its significant successes in the fields of health, education, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Albay Corp. Joey Salceda said they are now pursuing an aggressive tourism campaign and have adopted the theme “Albay Rising” for their new thrust.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. who was special guest during the star-studded April 10 opening of the month-long Magayon Festival here, announced the approval of the outlay and declared Albay as the country’s fastest rising tourist destination.

The two vital projects under the package are the Cagraray Circumferential Road in Bacacay town worth P440 million, and a road that directly links Albay with Donsol, Sorsogon, home to the world famous butanding or sperm whale which was allotted P870 million.

Jimenez acknowledged Salceda’s all-out tourism development drive and noted that the governor’s initiatives have boosted Albay’s economic activity, and as a result, posted a 17-percent tourist arrival growth in 2011, higher than the 15-percent national growth rate for the year.

Salceda, who chairs the Bicol Regional Development Council (RDC), recently spearheaded the formation of the Albay-Sorsogon-Masbate Tourism Alliance (ALSORMAS TA) to ensure their stronger and more cohesive tourism promotion drive.

The alliance complements another regional tourism cluster already in place, the CCCTL or the Catanduanes-Camarines Sur-Camarines Norte Tourism Link.

“I have initiated this strategic approach to accelerate tourism development and enhance the attractiveness of Bicol as a tourist destination,” said Salceda, who also sits as president of all RDC chairs in the country.

Under the ALSORMAS TA, Salceda said an integrated and more comprehensive tourism strategy would be formulated and pursued, particularly on infrastructure development that would spatially put together the three provinces and their products under a unified package for better market positioning and promotion.