An Alternative to Development Aggression
Mike Banos
April 11, 2006
Tourism has often been touted as an acceptable alternative to development aggression sweeping the regions and dissipating the national patrimony in the name of Gross National Product and the War Against Poverty.
It is labor-intensive, makes quaint village technology a paying proposition by making tourists watch it at work, and is generally not so harsh on the land and its waters as ?hard? companies like ?smokestack? industries previously espoused by the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor (CIC) are.
Contrary to what many local ?business analysts? say, Cagayan de Oro seems to be favorably situated to take advantage of this sunrise industry, however late it may have been in coming.
The City of Golden Friendship has always been a favorite destination of convention ?goers and organizers not only from Mindanao but even from Luzon and the Visayas because of its charming mix of urban amenities and nearby satellite destinations.
Regional and national convention-goers are drawn by the city's close proximity of hotels and accommodations, wide variety of easily accessible exotic tourism destinations and amenities including an ?in-city? 18-hole world class golf course and a country club.
Aware of these trends, private and public investments continue to pour in the tourism sector in anticipation of even more arrivals in the coming years.
Still on the horizon but not for long are two more bridges across the Cagayan de Oro River which will definitely have a positive impact on motor vehicle throughput in the city, and ergo, tourism and investments.
Not far away are the P2.35-billion Tubod-Tangub bridge which will funnel more visitors from the Zamboanga Peninsula through Region 10 and of course, the P5.8-billion Laguindingan Airport that aims to open links to the BIMP-Eaga and eventually all of Asia, Europe and the Americas with its capacity to handle wide-body, long haul aircraft.
The city government is taking advantage of the vastly improved road access to the previously inaccessible Kagay-anon (previously Lawndale) Spring Resort by investing P7.8-M to build a function hall that can seat 150 persons, cottages, lighting and perimeter fence. Nearby the DPWH continues work on the Cagayan de Oro Convention Center championed by native son Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Last year, both the Phil. Ports Authority and Air Transportation Office through the DOTC improved the passenger terminals and related amenities in the Macabalan Port and Lumbia Airport, respectively.
Private sector investments in conventions infrastructure is even more impressive: Limketkai Center?s P230-million expansion includes an Atrium to compete with SM Cagayan de Oro. Korean investors have opened a P300-million 50-room hotel in Pueblo de Oro township in Upper Canitoan. Besides being only ten minutes away from the Lumbia airport, it also complements the Xavier Estates Sports & Country Club across the street which has a 1,000 person ballroom cum convention center, sports and country club, and lets private residences to visitors who prefer more privacy for a price.
And it?s not all infrastructure they?ve been putting their money into. For instance, Sink Hole Adventures Corp. has launched the Makahambus Adventure Park at the Makahambus Gorge, tacking on adventure sports to an existing historical and natural landmark. Among its attractions are a Skywalk Bridge, rappelling down the 150-ft. gorge, and the Zipline ?Slide for Life?. These by the same people who pioneered adventure sports in the city through ?white water? river rafting and tubing in the Cagayan de Oro river.
Another is the Mapawa Nature Park adjoining the 1,000-ha. ranch of the Pelaez family. Here urban cowboys can experience horseback riding, camping, trekking and fishing in a man-made lagoon a mere 30 minutes away from Cagayan de Oro?s bustling city center.
All hale and hearty you say? Let?s just not make the mistakes similar tourism boom-towns made and learn from them: Boracay?s lack of sewage treatment caused the infamous ?coliform? scare a few years back that had then Tourism Sec. Mina Gabor dipping in the sea to show all and sundry it was safe to get back in the water.
INDJC-
It is labor-intensive, makes quaint village technology a paying proposition by making tourists watch it at work, and is generally not so harsh on the land and its waters as ?hard? companies like ?smokestack? industries previously espoused by the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor (CIC) are.
Contrary to what many local ?business analysts? say, Cagayan de Oro seems to be favorably situated to take advantage of this sunrise industry, however late it may have been in coming.
The City of Golden Friendship has always been a favorite destination of convention ?goers and organizers not only from Mindanao but even from Luzon and the Visayas because of its charming mix of urban amenities and nearby satellite destinations.
Regional and national convention-goers are drawn by the city's close proximity of hotels and accommodations, wide variety of easily accessible exotic tourism destinations and amenities including an ?in-city? 18-hole world class golf course and a country club.
Aware of these trends, private and public investments continue to pour in the tourism sector in anticipation of even more arrivals in the coming years.
Still on the horizon but not for long are two more bridges across the Cagayan de Oro River which will definitely have a positive impact on motor vehicle throughput in the city, and ergo, tourism and investments.
Not far away are the P2.35-billion Tubod-Tangub bridge which will funnel more visitors from the Zamboanga Peninsula through Region 10 and of course, the P5.8-billion Laguindingan Airport that aims to open links to the BIMP-Eaga and eventually all of Asia, Europe and the Americas with its capacity to handle wide-body, long haul aircraft.
The city government is taking advantage of the vastly improved road access to the previously inaccessible Kagay-anon (previously Lawndale) Spring Resort by investing P7.8-M to build a function hall that can seat 150 persons, cottages, lighting and perimeter fence. Nearby the DPWH continues work on the Cagayan de Oro Convention Center championed by native son Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. Last year, both the Phil. Ports Authority and Air Transportation Office through the DOTC improved the passenger terminals and related amenities in the Macabalan Port and Lumbia Airport, respectively.
Private sector investments in conventions infrastructure is even more impressive: Limketkai Center?s P230-million expansion includes an Atrium to compete with SM Cagayan de Oro. Korean investors have opened a P300-million 50-room hotel in Pueblo de Oro township in Upper Canitoan. Besides being only ten minutes away from the Lumbia airport, it also complements the Xavier Estates Sports & Country Club across the street which has a 1,000 person ballroom cum convention center, sports and country club, and lets private residences to visitors who prefer more privacy for a price.
And it?s not all infrastructure they?ve been putting their money into. For instance, Sink Hole Adventures Corp. has launched the Makahambus Adventure Park at the Makahambus Gorge, tacking on adventure sports to an existing historical and natural landmark. Among its attractions are a Skywalk Bridge, rappelling down the 150-ft. gorge, and the Zipline ?Slide for Life?. These by the same people who pioneered adventure sports in the city through ?white water? river rafting and tubing in the Cagayan de Oro river.
Another is the Mapawa Nature Park adjoining the 1,000-ha. ranch of the Pelaez family. Here urban cowboys can experience horseback riding, camping, trekking and fishing in a man-made lagoon a mere 30 minutes away from Cagayan de Oro?s bustling city center.
All hale and hearty you say? Let?s just not make the mistakes similar tourism boom-towns made and learn from them: Boracay?s lack of sewage treatment caused the infamous ?coliform? scare a few years back that had then Tourism Sec. Mina Gabor dipping in the sea to show all and sundry it was safe to get back in the water.
INDJC-
Print
Email
