Paracelis draws tourists with ‘bubbling mud’

By Roger Sacyaten

PARACELIS, Mountain Province – More tourists are now visiting this remote eastern town of the province being promoted for eco-tours.

A month ago, the primary tourism spot in the municipality, the Mabarotbot “Bubbling Mud,” was featured by the KMJS segment of the GMA Channel TV.

Paracelis has other tourist spots like Canavo and Ansawang Waterfalls, Iyo Falls, Nansuso earth mounds, little chocolate hills, Siffu River and other attractions.

With increasing entry of tourists, activities have been set with 40 persons recently participating in 3-day tour guide training, the first for guides in the municipality.

A position in the local government unit was also created and filled to cater to tourism concerns of the place.

 “Tourists planning to come here in the near future have contacted me, so we facilitated this training,” said Flora Madanom, newly appointed municipal tourism action officer.

Madanom said tour guides are needed as she cannot attend to all visitors and tourists visiting barangays and tourist spots.

The training was facilitated by the newly organized Mountain Province Cave and Eco-Tour Guides Association (MPCETGA) in coordination with the Provincial Tourism Office and Municipal Tourism Office.

The MPCETGA was organized as an offshoot of the province- wide training of tour guides conducted by the Dept. of Tourism-Cordillera Administrative Region last year in Sagada.

Basic tourism orientation was given by the Provincial Tourism Office as well as do’s and don’ts of tour guiding while the MPCETGA explained principles of basic tour guiding, first aid, and mountaineering and flora and fauna appreciation.

A mock tour was also conducted wherein participants were engaged in tour spiel.

Jay R Guindalos, leader of the team said the training would enable tour guides with basic skills in tour guiding.

“We hope that after this training, we will have tour guides available to cater to the increasing tourists in the town,” he said.

In his welcome remarks, Mayor Avelino Amangyen cited need for tour guides in the town with arrival of more tourists.

“Even tourists from Isabela come here to share the views of the breathtaking sceneries and experiences,” Amangyen said.