Bontoc guides clean tourist sites of trash

By Alpine B. Killa

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gearing towards a zero plastic waste environment especially in tourist destinations of this capital town, the newly-organized association of local tour guides in Bontoc conducted a clean-up drive and team-building on June 21 along trails from Mt. Pukis in Barangay Bontoc Ili going to Mt. Fato and The Lonely Tree in Barangay Maligcong.
    The Bontoc Eco Guides Association was organized after the week-long eco-seminar organized and funded by the Bontoc local government through the Municipal Tourism Office in partnership with the regional Dept. of Tourism –on June 6-12.
    According to Municipal Tourism Officer Caren Guinayen, the Bontoc Eco Guides Association in coordination with their office initiated the activity in observance of the National Tour Guides Day every third Monday of June of every year.
    She said two sacks of plastic bottles, plastic wrappers, and leftover food were collected by tour guides.
    She appealed to the public visiting the tourist destinations in the municipality to dispose trash properly.
    “It is our simple way of expressing our gratitude to mother earth, and we hope that our quest for a greener and better environment will not stop here,” Guinayen remarked.
    She added the clean-up drive and team-building activities came into fruition with the active participation of the local tour guides, transportation assistance from the Bontoc LGU and the Bontoc Municipal Police Station, and a financial donation from  Sangguniang Bayan member Jerome Tudlong, Jr.
    As of this writing, only inter-barangay tourism activities are allowed, but still in compliance with health protocols.