THE tourism industry in any city can grow if its ecology is protected, an environment advocate said.
Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn said one way his city kept tourism sustainable is by maintaining a state-of-the art landfill facility.
Hagedorn was guest speaker and awardee in yesterday’s fifth anniversary of the 888 News Forum at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.
He was among the persons and institutions cited for improving tourism in the country.
The others are Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, former Cebu City councilor Nestor Archival, former Aloguinsan mayor Cynthia Moreno, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel former general manager Marco Protacio, University of San Carlos, Cebu Doctors’ University Hospital and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
Magpale, in an interview after the eGwen Our Cebu Partners Conference in the Cebu International Convention Center, said she was grateful for the award.
“I am really honored but I felt so bad to have missed the awarding itself. I promised to be there at 11:30 a.m. but I was late,” she said.
“I cannot thank them enough.”
Magpale assured that she will “certainly live up to their (judges’) expectations.”
Hagedorn lauded Cebu City under Mayor Michael Rama for implementing a no-segregation, no-collection policy.
“I commend the efforts of implementing segregation from the sources because we are having a hard time implementing (back in Puerto Princesa).
“We can discuss with the mayor but Cebu is far more advanced,” he said.
Cebu City is scouting private waste facilities as Rama is set to close the Inayawan sanitary landfill by Oct. 1 following the implementation of segregation last April.
Hagedorn said the Puerto Princesa city government strictly monitored forests and made sure that development did not draw illegal settlers.
Since settlers would affect tourism, Hagedorn said Puerto Princesa implemented socialized housing that already benefited 9,000 of 20,000 beneficiaries.
“We are aiming for zero squatters by 2013,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hagedorn urged Cebuanos to vote for the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in the search for the new seven wonders of the world.
The river is ranked 15th among the nominees and needs more votes, he said.
Filipinos can vote online at www.new7wonders.com or follow the steps for text voting in the site./ Marian Z. Codilla Reporter with correspondent carmel loise matus