The government is putting up a concrete circumferential road in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGCS) to boost its potential as tourist paradise of the south.
Department of Tourism (DOT) 11 regional director Art Boncato bared that the proposed 118-kilometer road project costing P1.534 billion will be implemented by the government in several phases.
Boncato informed Davao del Norte governor Rodolfo del Rosario that the mega project will be included in the master list of projects among the tourism development areas identified around the country.
Tourism infrastructure consultant Ludwig Rieder said the Aquino government is determining the infrastructure and transportation requirements, as well as the product development investment requirements in the tourism development areas.
He said the IGCS, which is included in the country’s master plan for tourism, indeed has a lot of potential that need to be fully developed.
“The island is so promising that you have to have the right vision for the development of tourism in Samal,” he stressed.
Boncato and Reider met with the governor at the Tahanan ng Lalawigan in Tagum City to refer the proposed priority tourism projects for the province.
Del Rosario was pleased to know that the circumferential road project will finally be realized to boost tourism and advance socio-economic development in the island city.
“If you’re looking at really developing the whole island, you cannot separate the circumferential road project,” the governor said.
Without the circumferential road, he said, only the beach fronts will be developed while the communities in the middle part of the island city will be left out.
Del Rosario also bared to the tourism officials his proposal for the transfer of the Davao International Airport to the IGCS, which will include a bridge component.
He said this is the best way to make the proposed multi-billion Davao City-Samal Bridge a reality, since “no one in his right senses will put up a bridge in IGCS when there is nothing happening there.” [Noel Baguio]
He said the construction of the bridge will be more feasible by making it a component of the mega airport project in Samal. He cited the experience of the City of Mactan whose economy boomed with the establishment of the Mactan International Airport and the consequent building of its bridge component.
“You develop Samal first and then the bridge will come next. We just have to show the need for the bridge to be put up there,” he underscored.
Boncato assured the governor he would liberally consider the proposal of the governor. “Very well taken,” he said.
Aside from developing the tourism potential of IGCS, the governor said he is also pushing for the development of cultural, eco-tourism and agri-tourism on mainland Davao del Norte.
He asked the tourism officials to explore the great cultural and eco-tourism prospect of the tribal municipality of Talaingod.
However, Boncato assured the governor that cultural-tourism in Talaingod, as well as agri-tourism in Panabo City, are already in the master list.
Instead of holding festivals, Del Rosario said he is more inclined to developing the cultural and eco-tourism potential of Davao del Norte for the socio-economic progress of its local government units.
