Dr. Strolz’s lament
Idon’t know whether it’s the weather or the holiday, but either way I can hardly muster a coherent phrase, let alone come up with an intellectually-stimulating sentence… Not that I’m known for any sort of stimulation, intellectual or otherwise.
Thoughts are hard to come by. And when they do, they’re like soap slipping from my hands.
The signal must be weak in my part of the woods because I feel like my brain is stuck on “loading” mode.
I want to write about so many things that currently dog our society. The alarming rise in the number of people living on the metro’s streets, for instance. Or the poor state of the city’s roads. But not today. Somehow, my ego is being overwhelmed by my id.
Thankfully, I received an email from a Dr. F. Strolz earlier in the week. So allow me to print his letter below:
“I read your article “Promoting Cebu” with great interest, praising the great work of Boboi Costas and his team.
“Please allow me to express a few thoughts about tourism in Cebu. I am a Swiss, married to a Filipina for 35 years. Since my retirement five years ago, we’ve been living in Cebu City. We are following the actual developments in the Visayas with great interest; especially in the tourism sector, as I grew up in a well-known Swiss tourist region (Lake Lucerne).
“I would like to raise an issue that concerns me every day. I read almost every day that the Philippines wants to promote tourism. The term ‘World Class’ is used almost inflationary. The Philippines is rich in natural beauty and cultural attractions but is weak in the infrastructure.
“We also follow DOT’s slogan ‘bring home a friend’ and invite Swiss friends to spend their holidays in our house. They are enthusiastic about the beauty of the country and the friendliness of its people. But they are always disappointed about the lack of infrastructure, including clean toilets. On the drive from Cebu City to Hagnaya or Oslob there is no public clean toilet, which is embarrassing.
“Since tourism is a very important economic factor, the necessary infrastructure must be provided. In addition to the cultural and natural potential, the touristic infrastructure has a significant influence on the perception and evaluation of a holiday destination. Clean toilets are a hallmark of every tourist region. They are not only a basic equipment for western tourists, but also represent an important feel-good factor.
“Tourism cannot flourish without good toilets. The toilet is part of the holiday experience. If you find dirty toilets at the airport or port, at the rest stop, in the restaurant or on the observation deck, it spoils the holiday pleasure.”