Home News Cagayan Valley Cagayan Cagayan tourism office to improve Callao Cave, focus on ecotourism, agritourism

Cagayan tourism office to improve Callao Cave, focus on ecotourism, agritourism

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines- Cagayan Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) said they are prioritizing the development of provincial government properties for agritourism and ecotourism.

PTO Officer-in-Charge lawyer Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor said this will be included in their crafting process for a provincial tourism development plan, something she claims was absent in the previous administration.

Villaflor said they plan to develop a provincial zoo and wildlife medical facility in the breeding station in Zitanga, Ballesteros. The facility, Villaflor said, will cater to injured wildlife species endemic to Cagayan.

The PTO head also said this will showcase good breed of goats, cattle, and other animals cared by the Provincial Veterinary Office.

The demo farm in Anquiray, Amulung is also eyed to be developed by PTO and the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, Villaflor said in Pagdidinnamagan: Kapehan sa Kapitolyo on Monday, November 20.

The PTO is also planning to put up a visitor’s pavilion, clean restrooms, and pasalubong centers which are also planned to be put up in the sub-capitol in Bangag, Lal-lo.

The office is also considering the blue water in Baggao as an inclusion to their tourism offerings if they find an area for the provincial government can manage.

Villaflor also said the quick response Teams of Cagayan will be featured in these tourism areas.

“Since the provincial government is already setting a standard for quality of service [and] facility, we want this all to be part of tourism na ang Cagayano, ang Cagayan ganito ang kalidad ng serbisyo [at] ng [mga] pasilidad,” she said.

Callao Cave improvement

Meanwhile, the lawyer said the PTO will continue to improve Callao Cave by ‘face lifting’ its facilities such as the entrance gate and comfort rooms.

Resulting drawings and sample plans from architects and designers are expected to be submitted to Villaflor’s office “within this month.”

“Sana po masimulan natin po before the end of the year. [Sa] initial drawings [at] program of works dun natin kasi malalaman how much to spend on it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Villaflor said there were many developments made in the area which were not favorable to the environment. The PTO head was referring to some attached wiring which the new administration plans to remove.

“The proposal is [that] the inside of the cave has to be kept as natural as possible…We don’t want to interfere with the natural ecology of the cave so that we can maintain it also,” she added.

Furthermore, Villaflor said their thrust is geared more towards providing good facilities such as green restrooms to tourists and that income generation is only “secondary.”

“When we refer to development it’s not necessarily setting upo massive infrastructure but facilities that are eco friendly but can provide the basic needs of visitors,” Villaflor said.

Meanwhile, the tourism head said they do not “foresee” an increase in entrance fee in Callao Cave but she said, “if in the future we feel that, for maintenance [purposes] we have to increase, dadaan pa naman sa SP yan if we increase the fees.” Northernforum.net

Advertisement
Load More Related Articles
Load More By Amir Aquino
Load More In Cagayan
Comments are closed.

Check Also

PCSO turns over P5.9-M calamity aid to Cagayan towns affected by flooding

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan- The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has turned over…