Traveling is a
brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that
familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing
is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky –
all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.
-Cesare Pavese
I love traveling. I am one of
those who believe that we are born to wander and explore the world that we live
it. For me, our world is a vast playground that needs to be played. The earth
is too big for us not to go around it, or at least go out of our familiar
places.
Traveling is one of the main
concerns of the Tourism industry, that’s why it is no surprise to know that it
is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing industry in the world. Why?
Because people are constantly traveling. It is fortunate that I share my point
of view in life with other people as well. Also, the statistics of people going
out and about is growing at a remarkable rate. With the development of
technology in hands of people, giving them direct information on places to
travel, and with enough money to spend, it is really expected that the Tourism
and Travel industry be an in-demand entity nowadays and be a great big
opportunity of business in the future.
In line with this, BLVD
Productions from Tour 126 class in University of the Philippines Asian
Institute of Tourism – Diliman organized a tourism convention entitled TOUR U:
PROGRESSIVE TOURISM EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES, held last Saturday, November
29, 2014 at the UP School of Economics Auditorium.
Several students from
different colleges and universities attended the said event, namely from the UP
AIT, Miriam College,
To start off the program, Ms.
Candice Ramos, the Philippines’ Miss EcoTourism 2014 and the host, called on
the first speaker, Prof. Carlos Libosada, Jr., to talk about the opportunities
brought about by the UNESCO inscription of the Mt. Hamiguitan Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Mt. Hamiguitan, as discussed
in the convention, is a tourism destination located at the province of Davao
Oriental. It has curious looking rock formations and is ideal site for camping
activities.
It is discussed that the
locals of Mt. Hamiguitan are, yes, taking care of the said sanctuary but they
are not yet educated on how to do the taking-care-of properly. Mt. Hamiguitan,
being a UNESCO World Heritage Site is still new to them. They are not yet
equipped with the proper knowledge on how to take care, preserve and conserve a
UNESCO World Heritage Site such as Mt. Hamiguitan.
With this, the team of Prof.
Libosada constructed a management plan for the locals and the local government
concerning on Mt. Hamiguitan, to ensure that the place will be managed and
taken care of properly.
In connection to this, since
we are considered as the future market and travellers that may visit Mt.
Hamiguitan in the future, Prof. Libosada shared some tips on how to take care
of Mt. Hamiguitan as a tourist/visitor.
“That is why it is good that
Hamiguitan is inscripted as the 8th UNESCO World Heritage Site
because first, it is pride of the whole country to have world class site and
second, it will raise a global appreciation and awareness towards taking care,
preserving and conserving Mt. Hamiguitan”, Prof. Libosada, as he ended his
discussion.
Moreover, a formal forum was
conducted right after the discussion to entertain and answer the questions of
the students who attended the said convention.
Several Questions have been
asked regarding the how to’s, what to do’s and what not to do’s in preserving
Mt. Hamiguitan. But there’s one question that really raised my interest and
attention. It’s the question on what does UNESCO inscription to Mt. Hamiguitan
as a World Heritage Site can do to the place itself and if it involves a
financial aid from UNESCO. Prof. Libosada cleared that UNESCO is not giving
financial aid when it comes to protecting, preserving and conserving the places
that the organization choses to be on the list, but, the sole recognition that
they give opens opportunities for the place to find a suitable and willing
sponsor to donate financial aid to do the preservation and conservation proper
that needs to be done to keep the place on the list.
Unfortunately, for Puerto Princesa
Subterranean River National Park, which was earlier recognized by the UNESCO as
World Heritage Site, it is becoming harder to maintain the natural beauty of
the place due to a large volume of tourists coming to visit the place. This
puts the underground river in the risk of becoming de-listed from the UNESCO
World Heritage Sites.
Prof. Carlos Libosada Jr.
finally ended the formal forum by saying “Dapat
alagaan ang Mt. Hamiguitan para hindi ma-delist kagaya ng naka-ambang mangyari
sa Underground River”.
 |
| Jeje pose "daw" with Prof. Caloy |
No comments:
Post a Comment