Visayas’ ecotourism potential is tremendous
Compared to other countries in the world that only experience marine biodiversity in oceanariums and theme parks, the Philippines is blessed to have an astounding variety of marine life and resources partnered with pristine and stunning beaches and sandbars available any time of the year.
For the past 15 years, my family and I, with some of our friends, have been sailing the Philippine seas, discovering our country’s best islands and coral reefs. This year, we took our family and friends around the Visayas with Cebu as the center of our route. We traveled all the way to Cebu to visit islands such as Siquijor, Balicasag and Cabilao in Bohol; Kalanggaman Island in Leyte; Sumilon Island, which is near Oslob; and Malapascua. This route has given us a chance to experience the best marine sanctuaries in the Philippines.
We also had a chance to invite Italian Ambassador Massimo Roscigno and his wife and daughter to join us in our Bella adventure trip. It was his first time to visit Oslob, where the famous whale sharks visit a small cove daily. He was extremely amazed to see the majestic whale sharks swimming freely. Donsol is an amazing site and our encounter with the famous butandings was definitely a great one! Then we went to Moalboal, a western area of Cebu, where we saw another fantastic diving site. Moalboal offered us a large school of sardines just 15 feet away from the shore. The school had close to a million sardines and formed a huge, dark, cloud-like shape under the water. It was also in Moalboal where we met Italian entrepreneur Alfredo Malasomma, who owns several resorts and restaurants. His restaurant in Moalboal is Marina Cucina Italiana and offers Italian, German and Filipino dishes. This restaurant is a sister restaurant of their La Tegola restaurants in Cebu City, which offer authentic Italian cuisine in its four branches. Alfredo and his family have been in the country for more than 25 years now and are enjoying the Philippine beach and marine life.
We also visited Balicasag Island in Bohol, where we enjoyed the company of jacks and sea turtles. Another island we visited was the famous Malapascua, where we saw not just one thresher shark but close to five sharks and manta rays.
My brother John, who was enjoying the earlymorning sun, spotted a huge sperm whale. It’s very rare to see one in the Philippines. We also got to see a group (or pod) of dolphins as we sailed through the Visayan waters.
As we enjoyed the seas of Visayas, I realized that the potential for ecotourism is tremendous. We see more and more local fishermen who value and care for the living treasures of the sea since the sea has been a source of livelihood for them. With proper maintenance and management, ecotourism in these areas will prosper and can help the locals establish businesses such as restaurants, resorts and hotels, among others. With that, we must all protect, conserve and properly appreciate the abundance of our great marine treasures.