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Extreme adventure tourism spurs jobs

Written by anyajulia on 29 April 2009

(DANAO,BOHOL) TOURiSM means jobs, and this time Tourism secretary Ace Durano doesn’t have to be the spokesperson.

Danao Mayor Thomas Louis Gonzaga is now quite convinced and has self appointed himself as speaker after his town has largely funded a program that pays for 44 casual workers to keep the activities in Magtangtang running.

The workers, hired by the Municipal Government which runs the facility at the extreme, educational adventure tour (EAT) Danao have been part of the “town’s liabilities” are now gainfully employed in at least ten outdoor activities Danao Eco-Adventure offers.

The new tourism stakeholders, from people’s organizations operating within the eco-park are now employed in the food and beverage services or as tour guides for rappel, suislide, caving, rubber tubing, kayaking, root climbing, bouldering, trekking, village tours and historical site tours, adds tourism officer Anna Loinda Saluan.

The workers also operate with a complement of regular government workers from the town who admits the job is an additional burden, but one lighter.

“It gives us exactly the opportunity to help our town move up and consequently serve our people more,” admits one regular employee who insists she should not be named.

Even then, the people in the nearby barangays have benefited, Gonzaga says as he added that people sell their produce to the facility restaurant and [the restaurant people] have been instructed to prioritize buying local products.

Danao operates an extreme eco-adventure facility which has also been claiming an entirely different tourism niche from the usual watch-and-see packaged by Bohol destinations.

The experience of trekking along mountain trails would never fail to allow one patriotic tourist the idea of retracing the steps of a revered Boholano hero who knew the place like the back of his hand.

In the place, which is now turned eco-park, was the heart of the Dagohoy rebellion which ran for more than a hundred years.

With the activities, the rampart of a revolution then has become the core of another revolution; that which should emancipate Danaoanons from poverty which had them at its grip since Dagohoy left them for good. (rachiu/PIA)

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