MINDANAO, PALAWAN ECOTOURISM SITES INDENTIFIED FOR PROMOTION IN EAGA

KOTA KINABALU (Malaysia), Nov 11 (Bernama) -- With the global potential of ecotourism on the rise, representatives and players from the tourism sector in Mindanao and Palawan, have identified key ecotourism destinations on both islands.

This was done at a forum held in Cagayan De Oro, Mindanao, recently in a
bid
to intensify tourism promotions in the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-the
Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The areas identified include Malawi Island and Dapitan for the Zamboanga
peninsula, Camiguin Island, Davao Gulf and Samal Island, Lake Sebu and Mount
Apo, Agusan Marsh for Caraga and Lake Lanao in Mindanao.

A statement issued by the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo),
here, said the Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake found on the Coron Islands were
the ecotourism sites identified for Palawan.

Mount Kinabalu of Sabah -- the highest peak in South East Asia --, the Mulu
Caves of Sarawak, Tubataha Reefs and the St. Paul Subterranean River of Palawan
are four BIMP-EAGA sites listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Participants at the forum planned to create a network of ecotourism
sites in Mindanao and Palawan to be representative of the key ecotourism
destinations in the area as part of the overall BIMP-EAGA ecotourism
network.

The Philippines aims to highlight these sites during the BIMP-EAGA
community based ecotourism conference to be held in Manado, Indonesia this
November.

The Philippine-EAGA forum aims to contribute to the formulation
of a ecotourism roadmap for the BIMP-EAGA.It will also highlight the importance
of ecotourism as a tool for poverty alleviation.

"What the Philippines and BIMP-EAGA want to develop is an ecotourism
that involves the local, grassroots communities so that they are part of the
development and benefit from it," said Narzalina Lim, the Asian Development Bank
Consultant on ecotourism.
She said that there should be capacity building for the local community to
equip them with skills in running small businesses like food, homestay
programmes and other ecotourism related businesses.

She added that stakeholders must identify projects that are attractive
and
"have an iconic appeal" to tourist markets with access to the destinations being
improved.

The forum participants also discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the
ecotourism resources in terms of destinations, infrastructure, funding and human
resources as well as activities in terms of product development, planning,
marketing, training and networking in the Mindanao regions including
Palawan.

Around 109 stakeholders from the private sector, government and
non-governmental organisations attended the forum.