TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said Victorias City in Negros Occidental has embraced the Tourism Champions Challenge with excellence.
This was after Victorias City secured the fourth spot in the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) Tourism Champions Challenge.
In 2023, Victorias City submitted its tourism infrastructure proposal to the DOT’s nationwide challenge, which sought to identify and support innovative and sustainable tourism projects from local government units (LGUs).
Out of 98 proposals from 90 LGUs across the country, Victorias City was named one of the 15 national winners and secured the fourth spot among all entries in the Visayas cluster.
The city received P8 million in funding from the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), and an additional P5 million grant from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., bringing the total project fund to P13 million.
Frasco, who led the groundbreaking ceremony of the Gawahon, A Birder’s Paradise-a Haven for Sustainable and Inclusive Eco-tourism at the Gawahon Eco-Park, Victorias City on June 11, said Gawahon, a Birder’s Paradise, is proof that when national vision aligns with local determination, they can build something truly meaningful and lasting.
“This projects stands firmly on the foundation laydown by President Marcos,” Frasco said.
Frasco noted that they launched the Tourism Champions Challenge to give LGUs the platform to lead with their own vision, voice, and private place with the full support of the National Government through the DOT and Tieza.
“Through this P13 million investment, we are building more than trails and facilities, we are building a future where biodiversity has protected, local stories are told and the economic opportunity is rooted in Filipino identity and culture,” Frasco said.
She said the new Gawahon building is not only for tourists but for everybody.
“Across the Philippines, we are aligning local efforts with bold national action, we are building tourism roads, tourist rest areas and investing in tourism infrastructure such as this to ensure comfort, safety and convenience of our tourists,” Frasco added.
Victorias City Mayor and Third District Congressman-elect Javier Miguel Benitez also expressed his gratitude to the DOT, Tieza, and the Office of the President for recognizing the City’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
“Gawahon Eco-Park is one step closer to a future we all look forward to,” Benitez said.
He said they will be implementing one sub-project, which is the Information Center and Tourist One-Stop-Shop that will serve as an education and orientation hub for tourists, showcasing the rich biodiversity of Gawahon.
The center will feature a visitor orientation area, viewing deck, interpretive galleries on birds and native species, and a shop that will sell locally crafted souvenirs.
This will also add to the existing attractions and facilities Gawahon Eco-Park offers like boating lagoon; accommodation facilities such as duplex cottages, a viewing deck villa, and staff house; multipurpose hall, swimming pool; our Nanjo City - Victorias City Friendship Park featuring a traditional Okinawan House; and of course, our multi-tiered waterfalls.
“Being a home to 106 bird species and more than 55 mammals, and herpetofauna which many are endemic, endangered, and threatened, Gawahon Eco-Park is truly a Birder's Paradise,” Benitez said.
More than just an act of protecting the habitat of these rare flora and fauna, he said the entire forest area of Victorias City being classified as a watershed plays a critical role in providing clean and sufficient water for the communities in the upland of Northern Negros Natural Park and everyone else in the lowland.
He added that keeping this site as a sustainable Eco-Tourism destination is important in promoting long-term conservation and protection of the area's rich biodiversity and ecosystems.
The mayor disclosed that it also provides a sustainable livelihood for the local community living within and around the park.
Gawahon in Hiligaynon language means an act or attempt to observe, look at, or to watch from a window or the like," from the root word "gawa." It is a verb that signifies an action of looking beyond.
For his part, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, in his message delivered by Provincial Tourism Officer Cheryl Decena, also commended Victorias City for championing a vision that balances tourism with conservation, and economic advancement with ecological integrity.
“This not only uplifts Victoria City but also contributes meaningfully to the broader vision of sustainable development in Negros Occidental,” Lacson said.
He said Gawahon Eco-Park is more than just a beautiful landscape, it is a sanctuary of life. The rare birds inhabiting Gawahon are symbols of the island's unique ecological identity.
“We are committed, together with the City of Victorias, the Department of Tourism, and our partners, to ensure that biodiversity conservation remains at the heart of this development and that local communities, especially our indigenous, upland, and marginalized groups are meaningfully engaged in this process,” Lacson added. (MAP)