On Sustainable Tourism: DENR XI, DOT XI capacitate local eco-tour guides in Mainit Hot Springs Protected Landscape

“𝑀𝑎𝑏𝑢ℎ𝑎𝑦 𝑢𝑔 𝑀𝑎𝑏𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝐴𝑑𝑙𝑎𝑤!” - a resounding greeting from the 30 newly trained local eco-tour guides of Mainit Hot Springs Protected Landscape (MHSPL) as they welcomed DENR XI Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel Evasco and Department of Tourism XI Regional Director Tanya Rabat-Tan during the graduation ceremony of the Community Naturalist Eco-Guiding Training held on November 18, 2022, at Toyozu Mountain Resort, Brgy. Bukal, Nabunturan, Davao de Oro.

The learning event started on the 15th day of November with aims of honing the skills and talents of several community eco-guides in barangays Mainit and Bukal, especially in handling tourists who wants to enjoy the recreational value of MHSPL.

During the ceremony, RED Evasco emphasized the need to balance biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the protected area and he encouraged the communities to actively participate and engage in biodiversity-friendly enterprises or livelihoods such as ecotourism and earn additional income from eco-tour guiding and other tourism-related services.

Dir. Rabat-Tan, on the other hand, expressed her gratitude for the successful hosting of the event and underscored the pursuit of promoting regenerative tourism. Such forms an integral part of sustainable tourism by encouraging the visitors to allow the natural destinations to regenerate and that its positive impact will likewise benefit the host communities.

Dir. Rabat further stressed that the training is timely since the demand for nature-based tourism is soaring after the easing of lockdowns from the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The participants voiced their appreciation and merriment as they learned new things from their surrounding environment and unlocked their skills in eco-tour guiding. In fact, they implied their interest into having more training for that matter.

Furthermore, the four-day training was made possible through collaborative efforts among the DENR XI, DOT XI, and the Provincial Government of Davao de Oro. Experts from said agencies jointly handled modules on biodiversity and ecotourism, flora and fauna diversity of MHSPL, bird identification and basic protocols on birdwatching, fundamentals of first aid and emergency response, basic mountaineering course including the leave no trace principles, Filipino brand of service excellence, and practical tour guiding techniques and storytelling, among others.

MHSPL ins one of the unique protected areas in Davao Region endowed with natural hot springs, waterfalls, a cave, and several species of endemic flora and fauna. It is indeed appealing but also requires responsible and sustainable tourism.

If you're that kind of guest, you deserve this place! |𝐷𝑀𝑂 𝐼𝐼 𝐶𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑀𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑒𝑙 𝐵. 𝐶𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑃𝐸𝑁𝑅𝑂 𝐷𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑜 𝑑𝑒 𝑂𝑟𝑜

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