BY CRIS DIAZ
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY: Provincial Governor Peter Unabia, of Misamis Oriental, signed an executive order creating the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) to empower his flagship programs in tourism, agriculture and livelihood.
Jeffrey Saclot, Misamis Oriental’s tourism honcho, said on Wednesday that Unabia signed Executive Order No. 20-2022 as part of the province poverty alleviation program.
In an interview with the Mindanao Daily News, Saclot said that the newly created PTC encourages stakeholders to participate in the development of the province’s potential tourist spots.
He said that Unabia identified nine priority tourism spots in Misamis Oriental that, once developed, could perk economic livelihood in the community.
Saclot identified some of these spots as “the Grove” in Gingoog City, the Lugait falls, the tourism complex and botanical garden in Claveria, the “Lasang” in Initao, and the agri-tourism development of the tobacco farm turned over by the Philip Morris Company to the province.
He said that Unabia focused on developing potential tourist spots in order for stakeholders to provide livelihood and employment in the community.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Misamis Oriental recorded about 1.7 million both domestic and foreign tourists. “With the lifting of the pandemic, the industry is optimistic of bouncing back,” Saclot said.
The PTC, headed by Unabia’s wife Erlinda, is composed of multi-sector groups of about 20 stakeholders in the field of travel and tours, hotel and restaurants, the Academia, small businessmen engaged in tourism. -0-
