At least four eco-tourism projects of the people’ s organizations in the province are funded under the Grassroots Entrepreneurs for Ecotourism (GREET) program of the Department of Tourism (DOT) this year, says Senior Tourism and Information Officer Jossette A. Armirola of the Provincial Tourism Officer here. Funding release are made today directly to the beneficiaries at the barangay hall of each recipient barangay. Recipients are Tulapos Fishermen’s Association of barangay Tulapos in Enrique Villanueva town, P55,ooo for diving and snorkel gears and fabrication of bancas; Olang Fishermen’ s Association of barangay Olang in Maria town for the purchase of Kayaks for Olang Marine Sanctuary with Salagdoong Beach Resort as its point of destination, P90,000; Cangmunag Fishermen’ s Association, P100T for the fabrication of three boats, diving and snorkel gears for Paradise Bay coral watching tourists; and Cantabon Cave Guiders Association of Siquijor, Siquijor, P106,000 for cave, spelunking equipment.

The projects, Armirola said, are in line with DOT’ s effort to generate employment and livelihood with balanced ecology and environmental protection to promote eco-tourism sites and develop tourism at the community. As can be noted, President Benigno S. Aquino III is putting tourism on top of his agenda because of the potential of the industry to help reduce poverty. DOT Secretary Alberto Lim, on one hand, is eyeing community -based tourism as a means to fight poverty and said that with local community support, community-based rural tourism could be a big boost to local economies. “We are going to build a lot of emphasis on product development in the rural areas where poverty is at the highest levels,” he said.

Based on the report of the National Statistics Office, Lim said that although the tourism industry ranks number four as foreign exchange earner, it is now number one in creating jobs.

“These jobs are jobs in the rural areas, where most of our most beautiful attractions can be found,” Lim added. With GREET program, Armirola also said, Siquijor can be best promoted as eco-tourism site through the provision of essential services for tourists. It also gives livelihood opportunities to the people in the community thus, enhancing the potentials of the eco-tourism sites.

The GREET program would P50,000 to P100,000 blocks worth of grants to deserving groups and individuals with feasible entrepreurial /business proposals in eco-tourism sites in the country as set in the criteria for evaluation, she also said.(RAC/PIA-7 Siquijor)