BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The Chico River,
one of Cordillera’s longest river systems, has been declared by President
Aquino a tourism development area with four potential tourism sites in
downriver Kalinga province.
The
river, which plays a major role in Cordillera’s cultural and environmental
significance, has been undergoing massive cleanup and rehabilitation for
mercury residue from small-scale mining operations that used to thrive in the
area.
A major
source of irrigation in Kalinga and parts of Isabela and Cagayan, the river,
which is especially being eyed as site for white water rafting, traverses from
Bontoc, Mt. Province to the Lubuagan–Tabuk–Pinukpuk area, down to Cagayan’s
Tuao River before exiting into the sea in Aparri town.
With
the President’s recent signing of Republic Act 10561, the Philippine
Information Agency said the Chico River and other tourism programs of Kalinga
are now included in the National Tourism Development Plan of the Department of
Tourism (DOT) pursuant to the National Tourism Act of 2009.
The
other tourism sites up for development in Kalinga include Tinglayan town’s
mountain ranges and Palan-ah falls and hot springs; the rainforest in Tanudan
town’s Mt. Binaratan for trekking; Balbalan town’s subterranean rivers and
caves; Pinukpuk town’s Aguinaldo Hill and mountain lakes; Pasil town’s Padharao
Lake; and Rizal town’s so-called Elephant Hill.
RA
10561, authored by Kalinga Rep. Manuel Agyao, mandates the DOT to incorporate
the province’s tourism plans in its overall development plan.
It also
seeks the establishment of the Kalinga Tourism Development Trust Fund to
finance projects that will further enhance Kalinga’s tourism industry.
This, as Bauko mayor-elect Abraham Akilit in
Mountain Province said the national government must recognize his town as main
watershed of four major river systems that includes the Cordillera which
provide abundant water supply for domestic, irrigation, industrial and power
generation for lowland communities, thus, funding must be infused to preserve
its environment.
Akilit, a retired regional director of the
Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration said Bauko, located
at the upper most part of the Mount Data plateau, is also watershed of Abra,
Agno and Magat rivers that supply water to lowland communities.
He said proper preservation and protection of
watershed communities of the town also ensure power generation of the Ambuclao,
Binga and San Roque dams along the Agno River and Magat dam along Magat River
for hydroelectric power of Luzon grid.
`
We will sustain our proactive efforts to
preserve and protect the remaining watersheds and forested areas coupled with
the regreening of denuded areas in order to enhance the stability of water for
the four major river systems,”Akilit said.
One of Akilit’s major programs to preserve
watersheds is to urge vegetable farmers to shift to organic farming.
According to him, he observed that most
farmers in vegetable farming communities are now shifting from the
chemical-based to organic farming, thus, it is not difficult to implement
programs related to organic farming once he assumes his position as the local
chief executive by June 30.
Akilit is also looking into the possibility
of planting fire-resistant plants in identified buffer zones between barangays
to make local folks protect watersheds and forested areas in their respective
places and to make them reforest denuded mountains.
Akilit said the municipal government will
embark on a tourism development master plan so potential ecotourism
destinations in the municipality will be promoted in 22 barangays of Bauko.
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