PALOMPON, Leyte– The Department of Tourism (DOT) here in the region provided tour equipment to three peoples’ organizations (POs) based this town worth P1.5 million.
The money donated to the three POs, Liberty Eco Adventure Park, Palompon Eco Park and Palompon Tour Guides Association, were sourced from the Yolanda Comprehensive Recovery and Rehabilitation Project-Tourism Infrastructure and Livelihood Project, said Karina Rosa Tiopes, DOT-8 director.
“I’d rather have a people’s organization as a beneficiary every time we have a project because it really benefits the community,” Tiopes said during the turn-over ceremony.
Tiopes added that the gears and equipment given to the POs will help them in promoting other destinations in the town aside from Kalanggaman Island that is already the prime destination of the region.
“I hope that you will take care of these equipment and use it to make the mainland shine and not only Kalanggaman so that we you can earn more,” she said.
The Liberty Eco Adventure Park tour guides received equipment worth P873,000 while Palompon Eco Park members, they received equipment worth P218,250 and Palompon Eco Park,P218,250.
Among these gears and equipment were rope, harness, rescue pulley, outdoor pants, rescue helmet, head lamp, tents, sleeping bags, hammock, rain coats, cook set, solar camping lantern, survival knife, trekking shorts, compression pants, water sports shoes, compass, trekking pole, flashlights, among other.
“With these gears, tourists who will visit Palompon will really enjoy because they have lots of things to do, aside from going to Kalanggaman. Their long hour of traveling will be reciprocated with the numerous activities that they can do while they are in this town,” Tiopes said.
“Whatever income Palompon is gaining now, it will now spread to the community because of these destinations that the town developed,” she added.
Aside from equipment and gears, the local government unit of Palompon also received a budget for the repair and rehabilitation of its tourism building worth P 2.9 million; P1.89 million for the rehabilitation of Tabuk Marine Park, Fish and Bird Sanctuary and more than P388,000 for rehabilitation of Kalanggaman Island.(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
