Aloguinsan profits from rich ecotourism

CEBU, Philippines - Along with their thrust to preserve the abundant natural resources present in their locality, the townspeople of the municipality of Aloguinsan felt fortunate to have found an additional source of income from the rich ecotourism in the midwest part of Cebu province.

Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association (BAETAS) vice president Jomelyn Manigos said that the local community aims to promote ecotourism and conserve the environment in Bojo.

She shared that residents have recognized the beauty of the town’s ecological pride, decided to promote it as a tourist destination and eventually gained added livelihood means for the community particularly for fishermen and their families.

Founded on June 14, 2009, BAETAS is responsible for overseeing and protecting the Bojo River Nature Reserve that covers the 1.4-kilometer Bojo river and its riparian zone which is home to about 60 bird species and native flora.

Bojo is a river village that is situated two kilometers from the central point of Aloguinsan.

Aloguinsan town, with a population of about 27,000 residents, is located on the western seaboard of Cebu, facing the island of Negros.

According to Manigos, the local organization that is mostly composed of fishermen was appointed by their local government unit to run the operations and maintenance of the Bojo River project.

With the cooperation of the government sector, the Department of Trade and Industry and the local community, Bojo River has been renowned as a developed ecotourism destination in the region.

To date, BAETAS has a total number of 44 members of which 13 work as river tour guides.

These tour guides have undergone a four-month training on tour guiding and ecotourism with biologists from the University of San Carlos.

Other members are responsible for housekeeping and accommodation of guests.

Manigos said that the local community of Bojo regularly entertains customers with more than five to 10 persons in weekdays.

For peak seasons like weekends and summer, she cited that they cater to more than 20 to 60 tourists daily.

Majority of the guests is comprised of locals, particularly students, who come to visit Bojo for educational tours and field trips while 15 percent of the tourists are foreign nationals.

She emphasized that the ecotourism project has served as the main source of livelihood for locals.

She said that a tour guide could earn P150 to P400 everyday depending on the tourist traffic during lean and peak seasons.

Jamaila Alvarado, 29, who has worked as a tour guide for three years pointed out that even if the public sector provides 100 percent funding for the project, BAETAS members claim the Bojo River project as their own taking into account their commitment and efforts to maintain it.

Earnings during the tour sessions will help fund environmental projects, income for the families, subsidy for their children’s education and funding for basic services in the community.

Alvarado explained that local guides tour the guests through a river cruise by riding a boat while the former narrates the river’s natural and cultural heritage, and orients them on the rich mangrove and wildlife ecosystem.

It will also feature a mat-weaving demonstration, special cultural performance upon request and a buffet lunch.

Tour packages are either priced at P300 for every walk-in guest with river cruise, swimming and boardwalk or P600 per head for a minimum of five persons that is inclusive of lunch, river cruise, boardwalk and bird watching.

To sustain the project, Alvarado said that BAETAS has tapped the younger generation of Aloguinsan to take active participation in the preservation of the ecotourist destination.

The local organization also conducts tree planting and river clean-up every month.

Apart from Bojo River, the town of Aloguinsan boasts of its green culinary adventure at the Farmhouse and the Hermit’s Cove which are also both run by local organizations in the area. /JMD (FREEMAN)