Be responsible, travelers told amid Bamboo Ecopark vandalism

The Bamboo Ecopark (Photo courtesy of Edgardo Manda, Bamboo Foundation Inc. president via PNA)

MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Wednesday reminded travelers to be responsible tourists after Baguio’s Bamboo Ecopark was prompted to temporarily close due to vandalism.

“The DOT appeals to all travelers looking to visit tourism destinations around the country that have already gradually reopened to practice responsible tourism at all times. We condemn the recent vandalism incident in the Bamboo Ecopark in Baguio City, which led to its temporary closure,” Tourism chief Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said in a statement.

Romulo-Puyat said the DOT will continue to work with local government units and the private stakeholders in intensifying its advocacy for sustainable tourism in the country.

“We wish to remind tourists of the important role they hold in ensuring the survival of the tourism industry amid the pandemic,” she added.

The Bamboo Ecopark, located at the St. Francis Xavier Seminary, is a fast becoming popular attraction in Baguio City, famed for its walking paths that could rival Kyoto’s Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.

Edgardo Manda, president of the Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc., announced the park’s temporary closure due to vandalism on November 9.

“Some visitors do not respect the place and have defaced bamboo culms (or poles) by engraving their names and relieving themselves along the pathway,” he said in a Facebook post.