August forum to consolidate C. Visayas tourism infra plans
Tourism stakeholders in Central Visayas will meet in August to come up with a consolidated plan for infrastructure projects for tourism.
Priority areas have to be identified for possible funding from a P74-billion fund set aside this year, said Rowena Montecillo, regional director of the Department of Tourism.
Central Visayas is one of nine priority Tourism Development Areas in the country due to its large number of tourist arrivals, she said.
Other priority areas are Metro Manila and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Bicol, Central Luzon, Davao Gulf and Coast, Palawan, Western Visayas, Laoag-Vigan and Northern Mindanao.
Montecillo said Central Visayas would also also try to get from the DOT a share of another P50 billion budget for road and infrastructure projects spread over four years.
This year, P3 billion was allocated for road construction and the building or upgrading of airports. For next year, the budget would be P17 billion.
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Article continues after this advertisementFor Central Visayas, areas already identified as priority areas are Northern Cebu-Bantayan-Malapascua, Metro Cebu-Mactan-Olango Island, Southern Cebu, Negros Oriental-Dumaguete-Siquijor and Tagbilaran-Panglao.
The consultation forum in August will draw inputs from the private and public sectors “to come with a strategy and our priority plans,” said Montecillo.
Central Visayas already has road projects in these areas and an allocated budget for two airports in Mactan and the proposed Panglao International Airport.
“Once we have the consolidated plan we will submit that to the EDC (Economic Development Committee) which will endorse the plan for budget allocation,” said Montecillo.
