Palaro host spruces up local tourist sites

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Philippines – The Province of Davao del Norte is making its variety of attractions ready for the influx of tourists in the Palarong Pambansa this summer.

Along with the province’s revved up efforts in polishing playing venues and billeting quarters, and heightening security, local government units and resort operators are also expanding and burnishing the tourism sites for the May 3 to 9 Palaro.

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario has directed the tourism stakeholders to brush their destinations up in anticipation of the deluge of visitors in the annual multi-sport competition among the country’s student athletes in the elementary and high school level.

Del Rosario stressed the attractions must be in tip top shape for the participants and spectators, who are expected to exceed 20,000. The governor said the delegates will be invited to discover and experience a good variety of attractions in the province during the lull in between and after their sporting events.

“We will promote our tourist attractions so they can make the most of their time and learn more about our province,” del Rosario said, after spearheading the mangrove planting in Barangay Cagangohan, Panabo City.

Hundreds of government officials and employees, residents, volunteers and students participated in the mangrove planting activity, which is part of the coastal biodiversity conservation project under the Localized and Integrated Programs and Approaches for Development through Ugmad Komunidad (LIPAD-UK).

The program seeks to uplift the socio-economic well-being of the coastal community.

Other components of the program include  organic agriculture, tourism development, grassroots sports development and livelihood development.

Del Rosario intends to showcase the project to the Palaro participants and guests, making it an important part among many tour packages to be offered to the visitors.

Being groomed as an alternative coastal destination, the project will showcase an open-air sea water swimming pool as venue for the grassroots sports development initiative benefitting the indigent youth in the shoreline area, among other amenities.

Davao del Norte, which is dubbed as the crowning jewel of the tourism industry in the Davao region, offers a unique island to highland mix attractions that are boosted by agro-industrial and commercial wealth.

Aside from the world-class beaches in the Island Garden City of Samal, the province also boasts of the vast banana plantations and mariculture park of PanaboCity; natural caves and waterfalls of San Isidro, New Corella and Kapalong; ecological park of Sto. Tomas; organic rice farms of B.E. Dujali; historic Ising Monument in Carmen; Madgao River cruise in Asuncion; forest/plantation tour in Tagum City; and, the cultural heritage of Talaingod, among other attractions.