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| Floating nipa hut just right for fishing bangus and cooking by yourselves. Credit goes to the owner of the photo. |
BOAC, Marinduque, January 12 (PIA) – Investing in local tourism is a sound decision, if authorities want to reduce unemployment.
Led by Governor Carmencita Reyes, the provincial government is developing proto-types of community-based rural tourism that will create jobs and open livelihood opportunities in all barangays.
The latest model was the CARMEN (Center for Agricultural Research and Enterprise Network) Eco-Tourism Adventure Park in Sta. Cruz Town.
More than half of the park’s employees were residents in nearby barangays such as Tamayo and Tawiran.
“Community folks are the best guides of the park. They grew up in this area which is why they have lots of stories to tell. As employees of the park, they will have genuine concern for the Carmen Eco-tourism Park and help us protect the facility. They became stake holders of the project. Losing the project would mean losing their incomes, ” said Provincial Tourism Officer Dindo Asuncion of the Marinduque Tourism Office (MTO).
The CARMEN Eco-Tourism Park is borne out of a well-researched ecotourism program carried out by the MTO and the Marinduque State College.
The 14 hectare park, a former agricultural training center, offers kayaking, zip-lines, fishing, bird watching tours and swimming pool for Olympic-type water sports.
The program is supported by the Provincial Agriculture Office, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Asuncion assured that part of the park’s earnings will be reinvested in the development, protection and preservation of the area.–Courtesy from Mayda Lagran (LP/MNL/ PIA-4B/MARINDUQUE)