Kawayan Festival perks up Abra ecotourism potentials

BANGUED, Abra  – The successful staging of the 5th Kawayan Festival that coincided with the province’s 96th foundation anniversary has opened its ecotourism potentials that will spur economic growth and improve livelihood of peple especially those in far flung communities.

Gov. Eustaquio Bersamin bared this saying active participation of Abrenos to the festivities

will establish the province’s identity in the country’s tourism map.

Bersamin said the festive mood in the province for over a week now sends the message that Abra is no longer a conflict-stricken area but now a potential eco-tourism destination because of its peace-loving people and scenic spots along the Abra R%iver.

Delegations from the 27 municipalities of the province showcased their respective handicrafts and artifacts that were carved out of bamboo which grows in both the upland and lowland communities.

After his election as the province’s governor in 2007, Bersamin started the annual festival to showcase locally made bamboo crafts and depict a different image of the province after it was previously branded as “killing fields of the north” due to numerous election-related violence and incidents that claimed the lives of innocent politicians and their supporters.

 “Our people and visitors were able to see for themselves significant changes that were put in place in the province over the past five years. We heavily invested in sustaining our peace initiatives while we worked on providing our people with descent sources of livelihood through their respective bamboo crafts,” the 65-year old governor said.

He added Abra needs to continue moving on towards growth and development to ensure availability of employment opportunities and sources of livelihood for the people in the countryside.

According to him, the public and private sectors as well as the civil society closely worked together in making this year’s Kawayan Festival a success and that the same illustrates that with unity and teamwork, much could be accomplished, especially in providing the appropriate services to the people.

Like the bamboo that could grow tall and sway with the direction of the wind, the governor cited the state of Abra this time could be likened to the state of the bamboo that it could freely grow tall and be able to sustain its growth by being able to sway with the direction of imposed government policies.

Like the bamboo could sprout and grow when cut, Bersamin said Abra will continue to grow into a potent economic tiger in Northern Luzon once its potentials on ecotourism, agriculture, mining among others could be appropriately exploited, developed and utilized thereby contributing in providing employment and sources of livelihood for the people, especially those in remote villages that could not yet be accessed by the needed infrastructure that will inter-connect the different towns to the neighboring municipalities in the different provinces of the Ilocos and Cordillera regions. --  Dexter A. See