The Sta. Monica Community Based Sustainable Tourism (CBST) Association will open more tourism sites in their village.
Rowell Rodriguez, the president of the organization led 46 other officers in taking their oaths before Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Bayron Monday.
Rodriguez said they sought the help of the city government in establishing three new tourism sites in their barangay.
“Kami pong mga mamamayan ng Sta. Monica ay nagkakaisa sa aming puso na bumuo ng asosasyon na ‘to dahil po nakikita namin ang potensyal nang aming barangay. Ako po ‘yong nagtatag ng Butterfly Garden noong una. Sa ngayon ay ginawa namin itong Butterfly Eco-Garden and Tribal Village. Nakita ko ‘yong potensyal ng ating tourism industry, napakalaki, so hindi na namin kayang i-accommodate. ‘Yong ating mga foreign na mga bisita, nagre-request pa ng additional na mga destinations. Meron din kami diyang spring, so tatlong site: spring development, ‘yong mangroves and then ‘yong pocket forest,” Rodriguez said.
He said that they saw the need to open additional tourism sites in their village because of the increase in tourism volume.
The additional tourism sites will mean additional jobs and livelihood opportunities for the residents, he said.
He added that they also want to teach the youth the importance of environmental conservation amid the flourishing tourism industry.
“So not only sa tourism, gusto rin namin ma-touch ‘yong puso especially ‘yong mga kabataang local, kasi naniniwala ako na kapag ‘yong kagandahan ng ating kalikasan ay na-appreciate nang husto ng ating mga estudyante at kabataan, ‘yong future ng environmental conservation ay maa-assure natin,” he said.
He also thanked the help of the City Tourism Office in realizing their plan.
“Hinihingi namin ‘yong suporta niyo kasi ang puhunan namin dito puso at saka ang aming desire na paunlarin at bigyan ng karagdagang hanapbuhay ‘yong aming mga ka-barangay,” Rodriguez said.
