by: Rodrigo S. Victoria
NAVAL, Biliran – The top official of the tourism industry here in Eastern Visayas remained optimistic as she said in a radio interview that “there is always something positive” after super typhoon Yolanda devastated Tacloban City, the capital of Leyte including other key tourism destinations like the historical town of Palo, in Leyte.
Karina Rosa S. Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in Region 8, emphasized in her radio interview over PIA Power FM radio station with Neil Moraleta about the challenges of the tourism industry in the region after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda on November 8.
Tiopes said, the region now gradually draws tourists after Yolanda, stressing that these local and foreign tourists want to see what happened in areas that were severely devastated by the super typhoon”.
Their visit is a good learning experience and for them to observe, how the values of the people affected in the region helped them cope up and rise from the devastating effect of Yolanda, Tiopes added.
She is also contemplating on discussing with the local communities on how to turn the devastation into promising tourism attractions in the region.
“Maybe we have to come up with the establishment of memorial parks and markers” she disclosed as come on to tourists to visit the sites where thousands of people perished and interesting view like that of big ships that ran aground in residential areas in one of the barangays in the city of Taclpban.
She already heard of the plan of an architect to design a memorial park in Tanauan, Leyte as a way of remembering the residents of the town who died due to super typhoon Yolanda.
“If many people went to Guinsaugon to offer prayers to the victims of the tragic landslide that also killed many people, maybe more people will come to offer prayers to the hardly hit areas where thousands have perished” the DOT chief stressed.
She added that the department will also repackage the tourism capabilities of the provinces in Region 8 not affected by Yolanda like Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, part of Samar and Biliran to make it attractive to tourists.
She also informed that the best way to attract tourist is to inculcate in them the spirit of volunteerism which is really a big help in rebuilding the region from the devastating effect of Yolanda.
The lady regional tourism chief also revealed that DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez who is scheduled to visit the region by January of next year is committed in helping the tourism industry of the region as the secretary has proposals already in mind for funding.
Tiopes further informed that she already approached the chairman of Barangay Bel-Air and the president of the Women of Bel-Air for possible sources of funds of the department in rebuilding the tourism industry in the region. (PIA 8 Biliran)