Yt Framework

Councilor Rogelio “Gerky” Valesco yesterday declared that the barangays play a forefront role in the preservation and promotion of Zamboanga City’s ecotourism, saying that ecotourism aims to create a viable and sustainable tourism opportunities and limit the impact of human’s destructive activities on the environment.

“The barangays have a lot of potentials in terms of ecotourism promotion,” Valesco said, suggesting that caves and rives in the city are possible tourist destinations, waiting to be tapped and promoted to improve the lives of the local people living in the area.

Valesco, who chairs the Committee on Tourism in the City Council, issued these statements in time for the mass oath-taking this morning of all the newly elected and/or reelected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials at the Vitaliano Agan Gymnasium in Tetuan. 

He said ecotourism nowadays has become increasingly popular around the world, thus Zamboanga City should take cognizance of its ecotourism potentials with the barangays in the forefront of all the development and promotion efforts.

According to him, ecotourism development programs consist of a number of core principles, including minimizing industrial impact on the environment, building environmental and cultural awareness, empowering the local communities or barangays, raising awareness of political, environmental and social issues of the country, and ensuring that the experience is positive for all the parties, including the tourists and the host barangays.

This, the councilor stressed, is to achieve sustainable and responsible tourism practices to the benefit of all and the detriment of none. “One of the most important factors in the success of any ecotourism venture is knowledge; the intimate knowledge of the area, the fauna, the flora and the communities living there, the barangays.

“The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable resource that protects the people and the nature involve involved,” Valesco said, citing a study on ecotourism. “Equally important is that within in all these concerns for sustainability and empowerment, we don’t forget the tourism aspect of ecotourism.”

In 2002, the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism had stated that responsible tourism should provide a more enjoyable experience for tourists through meaningful interaction with local people, and a greater understanding of cultural, social and environmental issues.

Valesco specifically called on the barangay officials and youth leaders to take cognizance of the important economic activities that ecotourism can offer their barangays. “It provides opportunities for visitors to experience not only the beauty but the powerful manifestations as well of nature and culture.

Recently, Valesco trekked to Merloquet to see for himself the scenic waterfalls which, he said, should be developed into an ecotourism attraction.-(vtl)