BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
SANTA ANA, Cagayan (March 10)—The enchanting island of Palaui in the northeastern tip of Luzon in Cagayan province is now open to tourists after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony in Barangay San Vicente was held here on Tuesday for the reopening of the Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (PIPLS) led by officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Tourism and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA)
The PIPLS is within the jurisdiction of the community environment and natural resources office of Aparri town headed by forester Joselito Razon.
Members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) also joined the opening ceremony.
PAMB is the decision-making body of the PIPLS, a declared protected landscape and seascape area under Republic Act (RA) 11038 in 1994.
RA11038 defines protected landscapes and seascapes as areas of national significance, which are characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land and water while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation, tourism and other economic activities.
DENR Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalansaid the reopening of the PIPLS will boost the economy and help the country recover from the effects of the public health emergency.
Also the PAMB chairperson, Bambalan noted that at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the DENR provided a P1-million fund for emergency employment to about 160 families on the island.
“Last year, our department initiated the improvement of facilities in PIPLS with a budget of P4.7 million,” she added.
Noting the influx of tourists, Bambalan appealed to local officials for the creation of a municipal environment officer position dedicated to manage the environment and natural resources.
Eliseo Mabasa, DENR Cagayan provincial chief, rolled out the health and safety protocols that must be observed by the visitors, boat operators and service providers.
The PAMB requires vaccination cards to be presented upon registration which it said will ensure the safety of island-goers and the local residents.
It said proper garbage disposal shall be observed while at the protected area, collection of wildlife is prohibited. Vandalism, bonfires and throwing of cigarette butts shall not be allowed.
Palaui is 1.25 kilometers offshore from Santa Ana and is also part of the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport, managed and operated by CEZA.
Secretary Raul Lambino, CEZA administrator and chief executive officer, said Palaui Island has emerged as a gem for sustainable tourism that “safeguards its socio-economic future.”
Palaui won the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Community-Based Tourism Award for 2019 to 2021.
The Palaui Environmental Protectors Association (PEPA), the island’s major environmental group, was selected for the award during the Asean Tourism Forum on Jan. 18, 2019 in Halong City, Vietnam.
“This Asean award makes Filipinos proud. This shows us the way forward toward sustainable tourism,” Lambino said.
He said tourism on Palaui Island with its untouched beaches, waterfalls, rock formations, extensive forests, mangroves and a 300-hectare marine sanctuary, among others, runs on community-based enterprises that are active in providing various services to visitors.
DENR records also show that the marine protected area has 102-hectare mangrove, coral reef of 1,008 hectares and 472 hectares of seagrass.
According to Lambino, CEZA has established micro-enterprises at the downstream end, creating what is viewed as a business model that steers away from traps of uncontrolled tourism.
Since 2006, PEPA has trained the Aeta residents and other locals in Palaui such as fisherfolk, farmers, women and out-of-school youth in programs that arm them with skills to provide visitors with specific tourism-related services.
PEPA operates a “nature village complex” where visitors can stay overnight in the campsite around the Bayanihan Hall.
The Aetas are among the island residents who were trained in the art of traditional massage, preparation of village cuisine, good hygiene and production of island souvenirs from indigenous materials.
Hiking through three trails that crisscross Palaui and reef experience in five snorkeling areas identified by reef rangers are the major island activities.
Palaui Island also earned a spot among CNN Go’s best beaches in the world, and was a two-time location of American television series “Survivor.” THE TIMES