ISLAND Garden City of Samal––Tourism Project: Visit Samal Island is a three-month summer tourist escapades for all foreign and domestic tourists and enjoy bundle of benefits and world-class amenities offered by the 27 beaches and inland resorts of the enchanted Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) from March 2011 to May 2011.
Through a public, private partnership (PPP), the Department of Tourism in Region 11, with the able leadership of Regional Director Art Boncato Jr., the local government of Samal with its dynamic local executive, Mayor Aniano P. Antalan and the Samal Tourism Council innovative chairman Dr. Austerio “Bebot” Obenza bring to the “World of Tourism” the first-ever Samal Visit Island Project to attract more tourists to visit the island.
With the project, it is with pride and pleasure that Samal Passport is presented to all foreign and domestic tourists and are available and found in all major malls in the country and visitors arriving in major ports, where tourists can pick them up and bring to Samal City as passport, capture the beauty of the island, and for the visitors to genuinely enjoy the huge discounts offered by the participating resorts of Samal City.
Samal Passports invite the tourists from all over the world to discover, explore and experience Samal. Enjoy the island of sun, sand and seas and highland thrills, and make each visit a reason to come back again and again.
In an interview, Dr. Bebot Obenza-Chairman of the Island Garden City of Samal Tourism told BusinessWeek Mindanao that Visit Samal Island Project is the first of its kind under the public, private partnership being facilitated by his office with the support of members of Samal City Resort Owners Association to attract more tourists to visit the island. The same project will also be offered during lean months to see the extent of tourists arrivals of the City.
To date there are 48 resorts Samal City comprising the high end resorts for the AB market, middle end for the C market and the low end for all to enjoy to include the locales.
At A Glance: The Island Garden City of Samal is a group of islands in the heart of Davao Gulf and its sea waters and reefs are within the 1.6 million square kilometers stretch land area of the BIMP-EAGA Equator which is claimed to be Mother’s Earth true center of Biodiversity. Physically unattached to the mainland of Mindanao, the island is 900 meters east of Davao City and 10 kilometers of continuous coastline and with an extensive mountain range at the eastern coast, a number of isolated hills and uneven distribution of lowlands.
Participating resorts are the following: Hof Gorei Beach Resort, Paradise Island Park and Beach Resort, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, Punta del Sol Beach Resort Restaurant and Aqua Sports, Marex Beach Resort, Chemas By The Sea, Golden Bay Beach Resort and SPA, Blue Jaz, Club Asiano Beach Resort, Captain Hook’s Red Parrot Inn, Aznebo Grill and Restaurant, Rainbow Breeze Beach Resort, Island Ridge Mountain Resort, Fernandez Beach Resort, Mahan Garden Resort, Hagimit Falls, Mayumi Disney Sea Beach Resort, HI-5 Princess Tropical Inland Resort, Camp Holiday Resort and Recreation Area, Blue Water Village and Resort, Sea Grass Beach Resort, Ilihan Beach Resort, Precious Garden of Samal, Florenda’s Beach Resort, Maxima Resort Aqua Fun, Ato Ni Bay (ANB) Hotel and Wind and Wave Davao.
DIGOS CITY — Some 100 lumad leaders from Mindanao gathered for a Datu-Bai Conference calling for the stop of large-scale mining and other development projects that are destroying the ecology and Lumad ancestral domain.
The gathering continues at the San Isidro Labrador Parish, Digos City with a cultural gathering today and press conference tomorrow.
The traditional leaders include tribes from the Bagobo, Ata-Manobo, Matigsalug, Obo and Manobo in the Davao Region, B’laan and T’boli in Socsksargen, Higaonon, Kaolo, Banwaon and Talaandig in Northern Mindanao, Subanen in Zamboanga Region and Manobos in Caraga.
The Conference held April 25 pointed out that “development” projects have encroached in their ancestral lands such as large-scale mining, agri-business, and coal-power plants.
The recent deaths in a landslide in a mining area in Pantukan, Compostela Valley shows a possibility of what will happen if large-scale mining comes full blown. Datu Duluman Dausay, an Ata-Manobo from Talaingod, Davao del Norte said that while they firmly oppose mining in Davao Region, local officials fail to show the same resolve.
“It is no longer the destruction of environment, but the destruction of life as well” the leaders in the Conference said.
The traditional leaders point out that such projects do not contribute to the needs of the people especially to Lumads.
“Do the extraction of minerals go back to us? Do the plantations alleviate hunger?” asks Jomorito Guaynon, a Higaonon leader from Bukidnon.
The Datus and Bais said that these projects ultimately earn profit for foreign-owned companies at the expense of destroying the environment, and ultimately the life and culture of Lumads.
“What future do we leave for our generations if our land is gone?” the leaders asked
In a phone message, Datu Guibang Apoga, Ata-Manobo leader of Talaingod, Davao del Norte, called on fellow lumad leaders to never waiver in defending against “development” projects that destroy the environment.
Guibang also called on them to defend the ancestral land and culture of lumads.
There are 18 ethnolinguistic groups in Mindanao with a three million population. All share the common problem of environment plunder, and the military harassments accompanying these projects.
Large-scale mining companies encroaching the Lumad areas are Xstrata-Sagittarius Mines in South Cotabato and Davao del Sur, Toronto Ventures in Zamboanga del Norte, and four mining companies in Caraga.
Other projects affecting the lumad communities are coal-fired power plants in Davao del Sur and the Aboitiz in Davao City, the Hedcor hydro-power plant in Davao del Sur, plantations such as palm oil in Caraga and jathropa in Bukidnon.
Exactly four weeks ago the whole Caraga region came to a standstill with surprise episode of a short lived hostage taking. News of the incident caught the attention of the national leadership that is sensitive to a hostage situation that it tries to avoid and handle like a plaque or virus. This time it involved a tribal group of young Manobo’s from the Municipality of Prosperidad in Agusan del Sur. All of the hostage perpetrators were minors. The hostage victims were teachers, parents and innocent elementary school students who were attending a public school graduation in a remote uptown Barangay.
The reason was an offshoot to a government none fulfillment to a previous agreement of land property dispute and inter tribal violent conflagration that incarcerated a tribal leader “for another crime that also resulted to a previous hostage taking of 79 persons in the year 2009”. Legally, there should have been no agreement at all in the first place if there was a crime committed unless innocence is established and resolved by the court.
After a marathon negotiation and nerve trading that sidelines our national government and police officials from their busy schedules in the national capital region, the crisis was resolved without a bloodshed and violence. Not after some concessions and government assurance were signed. All hungry and sickly hostages were released unharmed.
But the incident hugs the headlines for five days and captured the anxiety of the public and the foreign community on the peace and order situation of this country. The national leadership breathed fresh air from the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Never mind if time and government resources were wasted as long as loss of lives were prevented. It was lesson No. 2 for the Aquino government in handling a hostage situation.
What are the concessions agreed and promised? Only those that who signed the documents and received copies really knows until a next hostage taking takes place shall the content of the agreement be made public. Those agreements must either be legal or fulfilled?
But there is logic and reasons that meets the public eye on the background of the issues and treatment of the cultural minorities in Agusan del Sur. The incident could have been prevented if and when the equal protection to our laws and respect to tribal ancestral domain has been resolved in accordance with Article X11, Section 5, of the Philippine Constitution that provides that “the state subject to the provisions of the Constitution and national development policies and progress shall protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands to ensure their economic, social and cultural well being”. The implementation of the laws under Republic Act No. 8371, otherwise known as the “Indigenous Peoples Right s Act of 1997” is not clear and resolved in favor of the cultural minorities.
Many of the vast tracts of forest land in Mindanao are awarded to illegal loggers, ranchers and industrial agricultural planters. It has displaced the minorities and left a protracted struggle and agitation for discontent over the deprivation of many of our tribes that lives in the mountains of Mindanao from their ancestral lands. Exploitation of the natural resources and land grabbing often displaced the cultural minorities from their community dwellings and affects their livelihood. A situation most welcomed by the left to expound their cause and gain sympathy and foothold in the countryside.
The Manobo’s are the biggest of the ethnic groups in the Philippines in terms of their relationships and name of groups that belongs to this family of more than 749,042 in population from the 1994 census of the National Statistics Office occupying the areas from Sarangani to the Mindanao mainland in the provinces of Surigao, Agusan del Sur, Davao and Bukidnon.
They have adapted to the various ecological niches in the interiors of Mindanao. Their orientation is upland farming, hunting, handicrafts and gathering of trees for industrial use. Their rich culture in weaving and tapestry are arts to behold and helps connect the present generation of Filipinos to the past. It is a great source of eco-tourism and pride. Ped T. Quiamjot.
Manila Standard Today
Julito G. Rada
April 18, 2011
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The Tampakan mining project of Sagittarius Mines Inc. is expected to spur additional investments in the region from local and foreign companies once it becomes operational in 2016, a local official told reporters over the weekend.
“This will definitely transform South Cotabato into an industrial, residential and commercial province. Right now, interested investors are planning of owning properties here in anticipation of more vibrant economic activities in the province once Tampakan commences operations in 2016,” Tampakan Mayor Leonardo Escobillo said.
He said the project had triggered an appreciation in the price of land from P150,000 per hectare to P1 million. “A number of investors have actually started landbanking in the province in preparation for 2016,” he said.
Escobillo said the SM group of retail tycoon Henry Sy had expressed to locate in the province. “Just recently, a representative from SM Cebu inquired for a possible location in General Santos but it did not say if its project would be an expansion of SM malls or if it would be a residential project,” he said.
He said former vice presidential candidate Bayani Fernando had bought a piece of land in Koronadal, the capital.
He said the mining project boosted Tampakan revenues and transformed it from a fourth-class to a second-class municipality in 2010.
Sagittarius Mines earlier said it hopes to obtain an environmental compliance certificate this year. It is preparing a study on the environmental impact of the mining project and start public consultations in the third quarter of this year.
Sagittarius Mines data showed that it had contributed P2.4 billion to the Philippine economy in 2010 in terms of employment, annual wages, government taxes, purchase of goods and services, and community partnerships, sponsorship and donations.
The project is expected to significantly contribute to the economic development of the country. Once operational, revenue stream is estimated at $37 billion, or P1.85 trillion, over the life of the mine.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — A mission to the International Food Exposition (IFEX) scheduled to be held in Metro Manila next month is expected to generate P500 million worth of new investments for Central Mindanao, a regional Department of Trade and Industry official said here earlier this week.
The economic development committee of the Regional Development Council-12 had earlier identified six focus industry clusters as a strategy to further prod economic activity in the area.
Ethel L. Gumana, National Economic Research and Business Assistance Center chief, said in a phone interview that Central Mindanao is among the featured regions in the IFEX, slated to be held on May 12-14 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
“Our delegates [from the business community] hope to forge joint venture agreements with multinational firms during the business matching activity, ” Ms. Gumana said.
“There will also be project proposals to the different embassies,” she added.
Ms. Gumana said Central Mindanao’s participation in IFEX is in line with efforts to promote awareness of the region’s business opportunities.
It also seeks to forge links between project proponents and potential local and foreign investors, as well as funding sources, she added.
“Hopefully, this would lead to the influx of investments in the region and the creation of employment opportunities for the people of Central Mindanao,” Ms. Gumana said.
Also known as Region XII or Soccsksargen, the region consists the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, as well as the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
The six focus industry clusters earlier identified by the regional development council are coffee, muscovado, tourism, processed fish, processed fruits, as well as information and communications technology.
The committee identified the clusters based on their potential market demand, regional coverage and social benefits. Other products that were also recognized to have growth potentials in the region are palm oil, art crafts, crabs, corn, coconut, rice, processed meat and hogs.
Luwalhati R. Antonino, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, had earlier urged Mindanao producers to expand their markets by forging marketing links or trade partnerships.
