Bohol's 14 towns form tourism alliance

BIEN UNIDO, BOHOL, Philippines — Mayors and vice mayors of 14 towns of the province's 2nd district have joined forces by recently launching the North Eastern Alliance for Tourism (NEAT) during a meeting held at the Dive Camp in Puerto San Pedro of this town with Department of Tourism-Region 7 director Rowena Montecillo.

The NEAT project, conceptualized by Rep. Erico Aumentado (2nd dist., Bohol), has been based on a one-town-one-tourism product concept with the support of the DOT-7, DILG, Provincial Board Members Josephine Socorro Jumamoy, Gerry Garcia and Romulo Cepedoza, DOT-Bohol director Rustica Mascariñas, Provincial Tourism Council chair Lucas Nunag, and Bohol Federation of Travel and Tour Operators president Antonette Madrinan-Bolo.

Only Mayor Roberto Cajes of Trinidad and Mayor Cary Boy Camacho of Getafe were unable to attend the meeting. Cajes was however represented by Vice Mayor Francisco Gonzales. The town officials in the meeting unanimously approved the NEAT project upon the motion of Bien Unido Mayor Niño Rey Boniel.

Under the NEAT project, the officials formulated a district tourism masterplan, of which the towns would complement each other's products in a common tourist destination package covering the towns of Bien Unido, Buenavista, Carlos P. Garcia, Clarin, Danao, Dagohoy, Getafe, Inabanga, Sagbayan, San Isidro, San Miguel, Talibon, Trinidad and Ubay.

Officials noted some of tourism packages, distinct to each town, had to be maximized to generate revenues for the towns without competing each other. Jumamoy cited Danao's Adventure Tour, which raised P32 million for the LGU, and the Bien Unido Dive Camp, which already earns P300,000 in just a few months. Then there were also the Island Hopping Packages that include snorkeling, kayaking, jetskiing and scuba diving in at least 10 diving sites.

Montecillo assured the town officials that DOT-7 will fully support the NEAT project of the low-profile 2nd district towns, and she would provide technical staffs to assist in promoting the tourist spots and products of these towns.