CEBU CITY – The Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC-7) has approved tourism projects in Bohol, totaling close to P3.555 billion, and P460.326 million in Siquijor in a full council meeting via zoom Friday, September 18.
RDC-7 has approved the inclusion of the proposed Transforming Communities Towards Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Tourism (TouRIST) projects in Bohol and Siquijor under the 2017-2022 Central Visayas Regional Development Investment Program (RDIP) that was also endorsed through a resolution to the Department of Tourism (DOT) Central Office.
The proposed TouRIST Projects in Bohol include the Assistance to Reinvigorate the Tourism (ART) Value Chain with a budget of P9.3 million, developing public markets into Bohol destination markets program with P240 million, tourist site enhancement and management at P157.81 million, hygiene preparedness in tourist sites with P80 million; decompression chamber System at P104 million, sea ambulance with P156 million, Bohol Water and Sanitation Project (Phase 1-Bulk Water Supply) at P2,381.871 million; and Solid Waste Management Facility at P425.8 million.
For Siquijor, the proposed TouRIST Projects include the installation of solar-powered street lights along the Siquijor Circumferential Road and roads leading to major tourist sites with a budget of P279.952 million; and Secured Accessibility for Emergency Response (SAFER) Siquijor at P180.374 million.
RDC 7-Economic Development Committee (EDC) Chair Virgilio Espeleta said the endorsement came as the two provinces have already complied with requirements.
Espelita added that the (TouRIST) Project is intended to improve access to priority infrastructure, strengthen local economic development, and strengthen disaster and crisis preparedness in select tourism destinations in the Philippines particularly Bohol, Siquijor, and Siargao.
During the RDC-7 full council meeting, Bohol Governor Arthur Yap also proposed that the funds from Bayanihan 2 be utilized to address the woes of the tourism sector and the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are the ones most badly hit by the effects of the pandemic.
Yap pointed out that the Bayanihan 2 funds must be used to take out loans for MSMEs, tourism establishments and transport groups so they can survive in the interim.
According to Yap that Bohol is willing to be part of the solution in also using its credit lines and windows to take out the high-priced loans as long as they are backed and guaranteed by all those taxpayers’ pesos now being given for free to government financial institutions (GFIs).
“I hope the GFIs will not take these ‘free money’ and turn around, and loan them again to our suffering and close-to-bankruptcy MSMEs and business establishments,” Yap said.