The local governments of Mati City and the towns of Governor Generoso (GovGen) and Tarragona in Davao Oriental have joined forces to help the provincial government intensify its tourism campaign. In an interview on Saturday, Mati tourism officer Dashiel Indelible Jr. said the three local government units (LGUs) agreed to work closely instead of competing with one another as to which area has the best tourism spots. ‘In fact, we will be doing a dive safari early next year, and included in the itinerary are the towns of Governor Generoso and Tarragona. As part of the province of Davao Oriental and in line with the tourism plan of the province, we must help each other to bring in more tourists in the province and not just in Mati City,’ Indelible said. Lyrna Palma Padojinog of the provincial tourism office said they had initial talks with the three LGUs for their planned dive circuits. ‘We just need to harmonize the policies for each LGUs and what dive sites we can offer,” she said. At the same time, the LGUs need to organize the community as their partners in this endeavor. Meanwhile, diving operators in Governor Generoso want to position the town as the province’s primary scuba diving destination, according to Juan Miguel Inojales of the JMI Dive Operations. At least 14 dive sites have been identified within the municipal waters of Governor Generoso, and they are planning to add five more to the dive site list, Inojales said. ‘Our plan is to support the local businesses, especially the resorts here. We know that tourism can generate more jobs,’ he added. The reopening of the El Don Resort in the municipality will also be a big boost to the tourism plan of the provincial government. The El Don Resort is located at the southeasternmost tip of mainland Mindanao facing the Pacific Ocean. Inojales said they have identified a dive site just off the resort, which they called “The Wall,” along with four other adjacent dive sites. El Don Resort chief executive officer Manuel Zamora Jr. said the presence of bountiful coral formations near their resort is the main reason why they are positioning it as the primary dive resort in Davao Oriental and the entire Davao Region. ‘I think we can complement. Like for example in Mati City, they offer free diving. While here in Governor Generoso, particularly in El Don, we offer scuba diving. I think with that offering, we can complement each other,’ Zamora said. The planned dive safari is just one of the many tourism plans of the LGUs in the province aimed at synergizing and harmonizing their efforts to bring in more tourists to the province.
Source: Philippines News Agency