CAGAYAN -- The famous Palaui Island in Santa Ana, Cagayan has re-opened for tourism activities starting Tuesday,March 8.
The Department of Tourism Region 2 said the reopening of Palaui Island came after a series of deliberations and discussions among various concerned agencies and stakeholders of the Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (PIPLS).
New rules and regulations as well as health and safety protocols were crafted to govern the operation of tourism in the island.
Among the new guidelines is the importance of protecting the environment, the people in the community, and the tourists.
The re-opening of the island will help the tourism industry to recover and help the local residents bounce back. This will also strengthen the promotion and marketing of the newly created Santa Ana: Your Adventure Paradise tourism circuit which promotes Palaui Island as an adventure destination and which will also be launched this month.
All ecotourism activities at the PIPLS were suspended since the declaration of a public health emergency in March 2020 due to the threat of Covid-19.
The reopening ceremony was attended by Department of Tourism Regional Director Fanibeth Domingo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan, Cagayan Economic Zone Authority Head of Technical Assistance and Officer In-Charge- Cagayan Offices Leonardo Cruz, Local Chief Executive Nelson Robinion, and other local officials.
The event was also attended by members of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), the Philippine National Police, Philippine Coast Guards and Philippine Navy, members of the San Vicente Motor Banca Association (SAMOBA), the Palaui San Vicente Motor Banca Association (PASAMOBA), and the members of the Palaui Environmental Protectors Association (PEPA), Officials and personnel from the Local Government Unit of Santa Ana and the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority, and members of the media.
Palaui Island attracted the attention of the traveling public when it hosted two seasons of the reality television show Survivor USA and was also the location for the World’s Greatest Modern-Day Adventurer-Explorer, Mike Horn’s Travel Show– Cap Horn.
Palaui Island was also declared as one of the Top 10 Best Raw Beaches of the World in 2013 by international news outfit CNN.
The reopening program was co-hosted by the Department of Tourism, Region 2.