Massive agri-ecotourism park eyed in Catanduanes university site

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LEGAZPI CITY -– A huge portion of the sprawling Catanduanes State University (CSU) complex in Virac, the island-province’s capital, is being eyed for development as an agri-tourism site under the government’s Flagship Tourism Enterprise Zone (FTEZ) program.

When realized, the over 50-hectare section of the 120-hectare CSU campus will be known as the Catanduanes Agri-Ecotourism and Conservative Park — inspired by the tourism estate models and positive socio-economic impacts in Nusa Dua, Bali and Jeju Island, South Korea.

In a statement reaching here over the weekend, Catanduanes Governor Araceli Wong said her office has endorsed the project based on the development proposal prepared by CSU under the leadership of its president, Dr. Minerva Morales.

The site, when developed, the governor said, will become a viable green tourism attraction, added to those that already exist in the province gifted with rich natural resources — from its lush forests cherished by nature lovers down to beautiful beaches and coastal waters that offer great sites for sea surfing and other water sport engagements.

The Bicol regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT) based here looks at the province as a promising travel destination owing to its ecotourism wonders, dive sites and sea surfing venues.

According to DOT Regional Director Maria Ravanilla, her agency realizes the potentials of the island as a world-class ecotourism destination, the reason why it has been included in the formation last year of the “Triple C” cluster, a local tourism industry development alliance called “Gems of the Pacific” for its geographical location which is along the rim of the Pacific Ocean.

The cluster also includes the provinces of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte comprising a tourism development area (TDA) as identified in the 2011-2016 National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) of the DOT.

Ravanilla said two sub-TDAs form this cluster–the Caramoan-Catanduanes Tourism Link (CCTL) covering the tourism town of Caramoan, Camarines Sur and the entire Catanduanes area; and the Camarines Tourism Circuit (CTC) covering the rest of Camarines Sur and the whole of Camarines Norte.

Wong said the CSU agri-ecotourism park development proposal was recently submitted to Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA) which promptly acted on it by sending in to the province an evaluation team to find out if the site qualifies as a Tourism Enterprise Zone (TEZ) under the Philippines FTEZ program.

Formerly known as the Tourism Development Authority, TIEZA was created through Republic Act No. 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009 as an agency attached to the DOT mandated to support the development of Philippine tourism product primarily through the grant of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to TEZs.

TEZ is described by the program as an area that is capable of being defined into one contiguous territory, has a historical and cultural significance coupled with environmental beauty and an existing or potential integrated leisure facilities at reasonable distance from it.

It must also have strategic access through transportation infrastructure and reasonable connection with utilities infrastructure systems.

Ravanilla said that to qualify as a FTEZ, the proposed CSU site must have, among other requirements, at least be 50 hectares, with the owner having a clean title or right to develop the property, and must be accessible through or near a tourism gateway like airport, seaport or inter-provincial or national road.

Other requirements are: basic utilities such as water, power, and information and communication technology; strong institutional support by way of comprehensive land use plan to local tourism development plan; the property in itself must offer existing or potential tourism products and resources; and the property owner must be willing to enter into a partnership with TIEZA and commit to the implementation of the master plan.

Once approved for development into a FTEZ, the site will enjoy assistance from TIEZA in the preparation of viable development packages; provision of infrastructure support and incentives from the DOT through promotion and marketing of the area in tourism and investment missions; and support from other government agencies thru the convergence projects.

When established as the Catanduanes Agri-Ecotourism and Conservative Park, its management will be subject to agreement between TIEZA’s Tourism Enterprise Zone Management Sector and the CSU or both parties may opt for the creation of a joint venture corporation to run its operations.

Formerly the Catanduanes State College, CSU was elevated by Pres. Benigno Aquino III into a university in October 2012 to become the island- province’s premier state-run higher education institution tasked to get involved in local development through, among other interventions, the formulation of new and modern agricultural and fishery programs to help address poverty in the area.

Within the area covered by the proposed TEZ, CSU currently operates in partnership with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources a fish hatchery facility designed to help the province improve the performance of its fishery industry.

The hatchery is now functioning as a modern facility for aquaculture, stock enhancement and genetic conservation through trapping of adult and spawning fishes, crabs, shrimps and mollusks.

When approved into the FTEZ program, Wong said, the university can come up with more facilities in the hatchery to make it a more attractive agri-ecotourism site.

The CSU is also an active partner of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in the implementation in the province of a mushroom production program showcasing big livelihood opportunities that are environment-friendly as farm garbage like rice straw and abaca wastes are utilized as media and converted into organic materials.

The university has also committed to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) that promotes and facilitates technical and scientific cooperation among various stakeholders on biodiversity, particularly in the rural areas.

This intervention is focused on biodiversity and productivity in abaca (Musa textilis) farms, which are of large areas in the province, as well as mountain streams, rivers, estuaries and wetlands of the coastal areas.

The CBD attends to the global significance of biodiversity of small and sustainable islands vulnerable to natural disasters such as typhoons, tidal surges, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that will have impact on the human population and the unique flora and fauna in coastal and upland communities.