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Monday, April 24, 2006
Ledesma: Eco-tourism
By Jun Ledesma
Sunbursts
SOMEWHERE in the heights of Marilog, Davao City, is a place the natives call Epol. Commuters pass by this mountain barangay on the way to Bukidnon or Cagayan de Oro City. I really don't know where it got its name but for now I thought maybe from the fruit apple. My son who loves mountaineering and spelunking described to me that one of the most exciting and challenging experiences he had was when he and his buddies from Marco Polo Hotel went to Epol.
They heard that there are a number of fascinating waterfalls there and that while the barrio is quite remote, going there is a cinch. For one there are passenger buses and vans that ply the route in nearly every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A brief and easy trek along the slopes gets even the uninitiated mountain climber. "The moment we reached the waterfalls it is as if we are in paradise," my son Dante recalls.
However, the waterfalls only serve as a facade. One of these cascades is an ingress to an underground river. One has to muster enough courage to dive and then emerge to catch some air and then dive again and surface again each time getting that unique delight of seeing the spectacular view of what's inside the subterranean river.
These spectacular natural resources ought to be preserved by the City government. Let us face it.
Places such as Epol will be explored not only by a few brave souls sooner or later. Left alone, Epol will be devastated. One can only wish the City Council will come up with a resolution delineating the area for eco-tourism. I don?t even know whether Epol is part of Davao City or North Cotabato or maybe Bukidnon. There ought to be some kind of accountability demanded from whoever gets the concessions for eco-tourism operations in Epol. It's very much like the place where Eden Nature Park in upper Toril. The very spot where ENP is now is a vastly denuded land where only cogon grass grew. Now, the place is covered with matured pine trees planted by Chito and Fe Ayala, who owns the mountain resort. The second group of rare Philippine mahoganies along a dead riverbank has grown quite tall. Because of reforestation and conservation even the river and rivulets have come back to life. By nightfall, if you happen to be booked in one of the resort's chalets close to the river, you will hear the soporific rippling of cascading waters. And too, the rare concert of cicadas comes to life as you battle against sleep.
But that's Eden Nature Park. Near Epol is Jess Dureza's Seagul in the Sky. The place is in Lorega, which is actually part of Quezon town of Bukidnon. I recalled that the Seagul was photographed and through camera trick the lone building then that was erected by Dureza who was running for congressman was made to appear like several clusters of buildings. This was used by his detractors as a vicious black propaganda along with the contrived lie that Jess spent government money to put up the building/s. But Jess and his wife Beth weathered that and went on to develop the logged over area. Today, thousands of pine trees are growing to maturity and the second growth forests have come back to life and are robust while the paparazzi who conceived of the black propaganda is long dead.
The prayer mountain of the Rev. Apollo Quiboloy is another testament of how development and ecological conservation can come together. I have not seen the much talked-about retreat house -- or is it a mansion? -- of the charismatic religious leader but those who saw the place swore how Pastor Quiboloy personally looks into how the vegetations around the prayer mountain be restored and conserved.
We need eco-tourism developers who understand and appreciate the importance of environmental issues. Eco-tourism is not merely commercialism. Again I like to cite how Jesus V. Ayala and Jesus G. Dureza attend to their island and beach resorts. JVA's Island Buenavista (north of the main Samal Island) is one of the best diving sites in Davao which means he puts so much resources to secure the area from dynamite fishermen and corral pirates. JGD's Seagull resort in Punta Dumalag according to environmental watchers is among the few beach waters in Davao City that are not contaminated.
Golf Courses have become one of the major tourist attractions in Davao City. Francisco "Paco" Dizon, has developed a world-class course in Mandug, a good 10-minute drive from City Hall. The course is well manicured and Don Paco has done an excellent job of setting up forest buffer zones to prevent erosion. Japanese and Koreans golfers find Davao City a great place to play golf. They want out of Japan and Korea where the courses are expensive, and they abhor Metro Manila and Cebu City because of the hustle and bustle of the city traffics. They love Davao and want to be here. Why? The mountain and beach resorts and the golf courses are all 10 to 25-minute ride from the airport.
The constraints? There are no direct flights from Korea and Japan that can get them straight here. Not yet, but I think these will eventually come.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (April 24, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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