All about eco tourism

I have just been back from a trip to Bicol with some NAITAS members who remain creative and fun loving in these straitened times. NAITAS is a group of small and medium sized travel agencies that banded together under the guidance of Chairman emeritus Bobby Joseph. From the start of the trip, the group was upbeat and full of laughter, led by current president Ricky Paul Tio of Cebu Holiday Travel & Tours.

It is funny that many people from these parts have never been to Bicol. When I told them I was going to Legaspi, Albay, I was met with: “Ah, you will visit Mayon Volcano!” Even I was caught by surprise when I saw the itinerary that included Donsol and Sorsogon City in Sorsogon – the next province to Albay. I only knew that Cebu Pacific has restarted the Cebu-Legaspi route recently.

Southern Tagalog region – Region 5 – is a place that we have always considered as so near yet so far. One has to take a loooong bus ride from Leyte to reach Bicol. Or, if one opted to go through Manila, the Legaspi flight invariably got cancelled at the last minute. So, the alternative would be the 9-hour land trip by bus. For a long ride tripper, like me, the bus trip is not that bad. I went that route when our early morning PAL Legaspi-Manila flight was cancelled some years back due to heavy fog. You will find that the roads are mostly paved and the passing scenes are truly visually refreshing. Especially along the coastal road through Quezon Province.

I will be writing more in detail about this interesting trip in the Lifestyle section. I believe we have to consider seriously local travel within the next couple of years. The wonders and beauty that await the discriminating Filipino traveler at the bend of a long unpaved road will surely be breath taking.

What is catching up now is the thrust for eco tourism. The “Leave only your footprints behind…” tagline has become familiar and all players should abide by the rules governing eco tourism. For rules there are in the area where conscientious observance is a must. No exceptions. No favored few! For when the stakeholders will start to bend the rules, eco tourism will be thwarted for always.

Just a reminder, in behalf of our fast vanishing fireflies, of the butandings (gentle whale sharks) who have long migrated to the Bicol region after rampant fishing in the Bohol strait, of the forgotten endemic woodpeckers and maliputo fish variety. It usually takes experts and nature lovers from far away lands to open our senses to the treasures that we wantonly thrust aside within our domain.

Yes, the way to go is eco tourism and the pioneering group of NAITAS travel agents who were with us in Bicol are passionate to sell possible eco tourism packages in Region 5. We met equally enthusiastic Bicolanos who showed us warm hospitality and ready friendship during our trip through Albay and Sorsogon. 

On to “Cool Bicol, Warm People!”

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Magayon Festival of Albay will be ongoing for the whole month of April. Ribbon cutting for the Magayon Trade Fair & Exhibit will be at the Penaranda Park, Capitol complex, April 1, 9am and formal opening of the festival by Gov. Joey S. Salceda at 6:30 pm. Same venue.

Highlights are: MaGAYon Day: Hair & make-up Seminar “Trabahong KaGAYon-GAYon” whole day on April 2 & 3, Ms. MaGAYon 2009 (a university search) on April 3, bridal exhibits, 4-cock derby, ballroom dancing competition, shootfests, fashion shows, sinakulo (Crucifixion enactment) contest, Namit Bicol cooking demo, pabasa during Holy Week, exhibits of Pasos and Mater Dolorosa images before the Holy Week processions, fireworks displays, boxing, BMX/Skateboarding regional competition on April 12 (Easter Sunday), Ginoo ng Magayon 2009, Mutya ng Magayon 2009, Magayon HOT-aw sa Kaonon (sili viand eating contest) and Festival of Festivals Showdown (Street Dancing Presentations) on Thursday, April 30, 1 – 7 pm.