Ecotourism in Pampanga
Pampanga is a province in Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines. According to the Provincial Government of Pampanga website, its natural resources are of vital importance to the province, with farming and fishing being a main source of industry as its landscapes and scenery draw in tourists from around the world. The Republic of the Philippines Department of Tourism calculated that just under 92,000 foreign travelers visited Pampanga in 2006.
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Natural Wonders
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A calmer Mount Pinatubo long after its 1991 explosion. According to the Provincial Government website, Mount Pinatubo and Mount Arayat are considered "Pampanga's pride" and are believed to be the "two most-important geographically-defining spots" in the area. The government's tourism guide states that below the two mountains "nestles a living, breathing, sprawling paradise" offering dramatic views, emphasizing the importance of successful ecotourism in the region.
History
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Ecotourism has been a significant part of the Philippines' economy since 1991, when the Department of Tourism worked along side the United Nations Development Programme and the World Tourism Organization to create the Philippine Tourism Master Plan (TMP), according to Ecotourism Philippines. In 1992, ecotourism was formally introduced to the Philippines, with TMP promoting the development of sustainable tourism in the island nation. In 1999, an Executive Order was implemented that created state-issued policies to further advance the development.
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Activities
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Mount Arayat is the most dominant natural landmark in Pampanga, and as with other aspects of Filipino culture, it's associated with folklore and mysticism. According to the government's tourism guide, Arayat is said to be the home of Mariang Sinukuan, a mystical fairy goddess that guards the natural wonder.
While Arayat is the more prominent, Pinatubo is the most famous locally and globally for its eruption in 1991. It is now one of the main attractions in Pampanga, visited by tourists on land and air expeditions, but according to Ecotourism Philippines, both mountains boast trekking and mountaineering activities. As of 2010, Pinatubo requires a conservation fee of 20 pesos, approximately 45 U.S. cents.
Beyond Pampanga
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Bohol, famous for its Chocolate Hills, is an island province of the Philippines located southeast of Pampanga where visitors enjoy kayaking, rafting and even interacting with whale sharks. Another site, the Hundred Islands National Park, is a small archipelago of 123 islands. With only three developed for tourists, there is hope at keeping the negative effects of tourism at bay. Trekking, scuba diving and island hopping are favorite tourist activities within these islands.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located in Palawan, an island southwest of Pampanga. The park has been inducted into UNESCO's Natural World Heritage Sites and as of April 2010 is vying for inclusion on the New7Wonders of Nature list, according to its website. The park offers its visitors spectacular scenery as well as paddle-boat tours and caving.
Controversy
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According to Mary Ann Chen Ng of the Eubios Ethics Institute, no clear definition of ecotourism exists. Because of this, some holidays touted as "ecotourism" are quite the opposite of its original definition. Hector Ceballos-Lascurain, famed Mexican architect and environmentalist, defined the term in 1987 as travel "to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated natural areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals, as well as many existing cultural manifestations." In the Philippines, Chen Ng argues, cultural factors of elitism and corruption may hinder true ecotourism.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Taste of Philippines image by Michael May from Fotolia.com Trek to Mt. Pinatubo image by Reginald Mancia from Fotolia.com
