BANAUE, Ifugao Mayor Jerry Dalipog said the municipality has taken efforts to maintain its tourist destinations.

The municipality has continued its effort in the rehabilitation of the Banaue Rice Terraces including the trails for the safety of tourists fond of trekking.

A communal water supply was also constructed in Banaue to serve tourists as no sewerage treatment has been established in the town while hotels and restaurants utilized septic tanks.

“On our survey, 43 percent of hotels and restaurants do not have septic tanks, so what we did was the local government last year distributed about 136 plastic septic tanks to the establishments,” said Dalipog.

The mayor added the town is currently addressing the lack of parking space with the construction of the seven-story parking located beside the municipal gym.

Once finished, the mayor remains bullish that tourists will stay in the municipality as the parking area can accommodate some 114 vehicles.

“We have the construction of our parking, this is really to ease our problem in parking,” Dalipog added.

The mayor also shared optimism that Banaue will not share the same fate as Boracay which was ordered closed for six months so the island can undergo rehabilitation for environmental damage. They will further look into it if there are violations of environment laws in the town.

In his recent visit to the province, Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito called for the preservation of the Banaue Rice Terraces and other tourist spots in the region as he eyes for more budget in the restoration of the rice fields.

Banaue is home to the Banaue Rice Terraces, the amphitheater shaped like Batad Village and rice terraces, and the Bangaan rice terraces viewed along the highway towards Mayoyao.

Aside from the rice terraces which tourists visit, the town also boast of ethnic villages, back strap weaving, traditional houses, ancient crafts, and indigenous ornamental plants back by Tapiyah waterfalls, Ducligan hot springs, and Guihob Pool.