BY: MARLON A. LOTERTE
LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 11 (PIA) – With this city at the helm of recently hosting another national tourism stakeholders’ assembly, Albay’s Coral Genesis Holy Rosary project also took the national limelight for the nth time notching the nation’s Best Eco-Tourism Practices award conferred by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).
DOT and ATOP conferred the “The Pearl Awards” to the project implementers comprised of the provincial government of Albay, municipal government of Sto. Domingo and Junior Chambers International (JCI) Legazpi chapter, during the organization’s 14th National Convention held at The Oriental Hotel here last week of September.
The Holy Rosary-themed Coral Genesis project also hadwon Merit Award during the National Convention within this week and a grand slam at the Dangal Awards of the Southern Luzon Area Convention of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) – Philippines held in Cavite last September this year as a bid of the JCI Legazpi chapter.
Albay’s provincial festival Daragang Magayon on the other hand notched third place in the the Local Governments’ Festival, provincial category.
"The Pearl Awards", now on its eighth year, is jointly sponsored by the DOT and ATOP that recognizes exceptional practices, projects and innovations for local and national tourism development.
The project is a concept of another version of the “coral genesis” already employed here and abroad utilizing technology that will help bolster propagation and restoration of coral reefs in Albay Gulf.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the joint endeavour has manifested a Public Private Prayer Partnership, a first of its kind, to protect the province’s marine environment, reduce poverty in coastal areas, generate employment as well as expansion of local tourism.
"Albay will pioneer combining all these three attributes into an environmental sustainable project that sustains food security as well as guard and replenish the local vegetation along the islands that serve as the province’s primary eco-defence against climate change," he said.
Salceda furthered that the provincial and other local governments, private partners will pursue expansion of this type of community- based coral reef protection and coastal poverty alleviation project across the province.
Engr. Martin Reynoso, executive vice president of the JCI Legazpi and project chairman for the project, said the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Legazpi and Daraga chapters were grateful for the recognition and much motivated to sustain and develop the project, noting that such bolster the commitment of stakeholders especially the local community now maintaining and protecting the “coral genesis” and neighbouring reefs in the area.
"The Holy Rosary-themed Coral Genesis project is comprised of 60 beads equipped with the same number of solar pods while five for the cross has now been lying 100-120 meters off shore with the depth of 15 to 20 feet underwater and covering some 300 square meters area," he explained.
"Recently, we are testing the underwater lighting apparatus using the same technology to add attraction to now a must-see tourist attraction in Sto. Domingo town," he said.
Another new concept is now on the drawing board, according to Reynoso, the like of a life-size "Belen" (depicting the Holy Family) sculpture and church belfry which will also use the same technology that will be deployed in nearby sites to make the area a world class tourism attraction.
Daragang Magayon is a yearly festival that Albay celebrates with its iconic endowment of Mayon Volcano, whose name originated from "Daragang Magayon" and whose story is "The Epic of Daragang Magayon sa Sayaw kan Tolong Bulod (Lovely Lady in the Dance of Three Mountains)".
Salceda said the festivity has adopted a new sales pitch: "Indulge yourself in warm Albay!" that further consolidated the province’s recent tourism gains of 49 percent hike in tourist arrivals in 2012, with a 23 percent growth in the foreign tourists sector.
Salceda explained that "Indulge yourself in warm Albay! Warm people, hot and spicy food and tropical ambience" is Albay’s latest tourism come-on.
Daragang Magayon has been its new cultural epiphany as the new tourism giant of Luzon. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)
LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 11 (PIA) – With this city at the helm of recently hosting another national tourism stakeholders’ assembly, Albay’s Coral Genesis Holy Rosary project also took the national limelight for the nth time notching the nation’s Best Eco-Tourism Practices award conferred by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).
DOT and ATOP conferred the “The Pearl Awards” to the project implementers comprised of the provincial government of Albay, municipal government of Sto. Domingo and Junior Chambers International (JCI) Legazpi chapter, during the organization’s 14th National Convention held at The Oriental Hotel here last week of September.
The Holy Rosary-themed Coral Genesis project also hadwon Merit Award during the National Convention within this week and a grand slam at the Dangal Awards of the Southern Luzon Area Convention of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) – Philippines held in Cavite last September this year as a bid of the JCI Legazpi chapter.
Albay’s provincial festival Daragang Magayon on the other hand notched third place in the the Local Governments’ Festival, provincial category.
"The Pearl Awards", now on its eighth year, is jointly sponsored by the DOT and ATOP that recognizes exceptional practices, projects and innovations for local and national tourism development.
The project is a concept of another version of the “coral genesis” already employed here and abroad utilizing technology that will help bolster propagation and restoration of coral reefs in Albay Gulf.
Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the joint endeavour has manifested a Public Private Prayer Partnership, a first of its kind, to protect the province’s marine environment, reduce poverty in coastal areas, generate employment as well as expansion of local tourism.
"Albay will pioneer combining all these three attributes into an environmental sustainable project that sustains food security as well as guard and replenish the local vegetation along the islands that serve as the province’s primary eco-defence against climate change," he said.
Salceda furthered that the provincial and other local governments, private partners will pursue expansion of this type of community- based coral reef protection and coastal poverty alleviation project across the province.
Engr. Martin Reynoso, executive vice president of the JCI Legazpi and project chairman for the project, said the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Legazpi and Daraga chapters were grateful for the recognition and much motivated to sustain and develop the project, noting that such bolster the commitment of stakeholders especially the local community now maintaining and protecting the “coral genesis” and neighbouring reefs in the area.
"The Holy Rosary-themed Coral Genesis project is comprised of 60 beads equipped with the same number of solar pods while five for the cross has now been lying 100-120 meters off shore with the depth of 15 to 20 feet underwater and covering some 300 square meters area," he explained.
"Recently, we are testing the underwater lighting apparatus using the same technology to add attraction to now a must-see tourist attraction in Sto. Domingo town," he said.
Another new concept is now on the drawing board, according to Reynoso, the like of a life-size "Belen" (depicting the Holy Family) sculpture and church belfry which will also use the same technology that will be deployed in nearby sites to make the area a world class tourism attraction.
Daragang Magayon is a yearly festival that Albay celebrates with its iconic endowment of Mayon Volcano, whose name originated from "Daragang Magayon" and whose story is "The Epic of Daragang Magayon sa Sayaw kan Tolong Bulod (Lovely Lady in the Dance of Three Mountains)".
Salceda said the festivity has adopted a new sales pitch: "Indulge yourself in warm Albay!" that further consolidated the province’s recent tourism gains of 49 percent hike in tourist arrivals in 2012, with a 23 percent growth in the foreign tourists sector.
Salceda explained that "Indulge yourself in warm Albay! Warm people, hot and spicy food and tropical ambience" is Albay’s latest tourism come-on.
Daragang Magayon has been its new cultural epiphany as the new tourism giant of Luzon. (MAL-PIA5/Albay)
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