BONTOC, Mountain
Province – Gov. Leonard G. Mayaen assailed the inaction of the Land
Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to act on a pending
application for the issuance of a franchise to a local bus operator to resume
operation and service the Manila-Bontoc-Manila route.
This,
following the six months suspension it imposed to the Florida bus company that
was involved in an accident two months ago that resulted to death of 15 people
injury to 32 passengers.
He
said the province’s tourism industry suffered a slump over past two months because
of the bus accident and news reports in relation to the encounter of government
forces and communist rebels that claimed several lives, including two law
enforcers and a commander of the New People’s Army operating in the area.
Mountain
Province is known worldwide because of the famous caves, hanging coffins,
waterfalls, rice terraces among other scenic destinations in Sagada, Bontoc,
Bauko, Tadian, Sadanga, Barlig, Natonin, Sabangan and Paracelis.
“Our
major asset is the beauty and scenery that is being enhanced by our forests and
watersheds,” Mayaen said.
Mayaen
said the provincial government endorsed the application of Norberto Cue, former
operator of the Mountain Province Cable Tours, to revive his franchise with the
commitment to use new vehicles to comply with LTFRB guidelines but the said
body never acted on the matter despite pressing need for a bus company to
service the Manila-Bontoc-Manila route.
He
said once LTFRB suspends a bus company servicing a route, it must immediately
issue special franchises to bus companies interested to service the abandoned
route while the original company servicing the route remains suspended.
“Now
that there is a company interested to service our route, LTFRB must act on it
because we really need a bus company to directly bring people to Manila and
vice versa,” Mayaenadded.“Mountain Province is still safe and peaceful. The
recent incidents that tainted the image of the province are simply isolated
cases beyond our control,” Mayaen said.
According to him, “it is unfortunate vehicular
accidents happen and encounters between the NPA and government forces occur
from time to time in the province but it should not discourage foreign and
domestic visitors from trips to tourist destinations because they will be
safe.”
Mayaen
said recent accidents and encounters in the province were isolated incidents
that happened when the province’s tourist arrivals was supposed to be at its
peak.
A
good number of foreign and domestic tourists reportedly cancelled their
reservations for their scheduled visits to the scenic spots which significantly
affected the projected tourist arrivals.
Mayaen
said compounding the slump in the province’s tourism industry is the absence of
a direct line servicing the Manila-Bontoc-Manila route after the Florida Bus
Company was suspended for six months leaving the line vacant up to the present.
“The
Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board must approve special permits
to bus companies interested to service the Manila-Bontoc-Manila route to lessen
the burden not only of our regular travellers but also the foreign and domestic
visitors wanting to explore the beauty of the province,” Mayaen added.
Mayaen
said the provincial government endorsed the application of Norberto Cue for the
revival of the franchise of the Mount Province Cable Tours with the commitment
that he will use new buses to service the Manila-Bontoc-Manila route but the
LTFRB has not yet acted on the matter amidst the urgency of the operation of
the company to help uplift the province’s slumping tourism industry.
He
said numerous investors signified their intention of putting up recreational
and accommodation facilities in tourist destinations because of previous gains
of the province’s tourism industry, thus, the need to reinvigorate it through
aggressive campaign to bring back the tourists. -- Dexter A. See
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