Execs from ASEAN tour Bohol amid travel warnings

After two days of discussions behind closed doors, delegates here for trade meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toured Bohol province, unfazed by warnings that several countries earlier issued over reported activities of the bandit Abu Sayyaf group.

ABS-CBN News yesterday reported that the delegates' first stop was the Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella town where they encountered the rare primate up close.

The delegates then made a quick stop at the Loboc River, where they eñperienced the famed Loboc River Cruise, which offers a view of local flora and fauna.

They also visited the Loboc Church, among the countryDs oldest churches currently undergoing restoration after sustaining damages from the October 2013 Visayas quake.

The last stop for the ASEAN tour was at the world-renowned Chocolate Hills in the town of Carmen.

Local authorities ensured tight security for the delegates during the tour. Travel agencies earlier reported that tourists cancelled bookings to Bohol in the wake of a firefight between government troops and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Inabanga less nearly two weeks ago.

The United States, United Kingdom, France and South Korea earlier issued travel warnings covering Central Visayas, including Bohol, citing kidnapping threats by the Abu Sayyaf.

Malacañang on Friday assured tourists that, despite the fnabanga clash, the Philippines “remains a safe place to work, to conduct business, or simply to have fun.”