MATI, Davao Oriental, Nov. 22 (PNA) — A newer and urbane “Welcome Park” is now greeting locals and visitors at the province’s entrance in Barangay Pintatagan in Banaybanay town.
Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon, who first launched the project way back in 2009, said the park is an added attraction enticing more visitors to come.
Aside from the expanded space highlighted with ‘green’ landscape design, the newly renovated eco-park has additional features such as a stylish restaurant called “Café Pintatagan” that offers a blend of exciting cuisine. It is also set with a tourist information center, a souvenir shop called Pasalubong Center, and clean and fully-functional toilets for travelers. Another feature of the park is the Dalansa Cruz Shrine located above a hill that can be reached through 365 señorita steps.
Giving visitors the first glimpse of what the province has to offer, the Pintatagan Welcome Park serves as a jump-off area to other exquisite eco-tourism sites in the province. “This is a showcase of our province’s beautiful sites as well as our hospitality,” said the governor.
The locals of Barangay Pintatagan, through Barangay Captain Joel Peralta, expressed their gratitude to the governor for putting up this kind of development here which, years ago, was considered desolate because of its distance from the town proper.
Banaybanay Mayor Adalia Tambuang also thanked the provincial government for initiating the project which ‘truly compliments the beauty of Davao Oriental’. “This is a clear indicator of her love for her people and for our province. Her drive and competence in leadership is indeed exceptional, she said.
Even at the start of her administration, Malanyaon had set her sights on establishing eco-tourism attractions in every town to showcase Davao Oriental’s potentials while maximizing its resplendent landscapes and seascapes.
Now at the final year of her term, Malanyaon has been successful in the completion of eco-tourism sites and parks which sets the foundation for world-class development standards of tourism-related projects.
“Davao Oriental is perhaps one of the most beautiful provinces in the country with its very rich natural and cultural heritage. As stewards of these God-given gifts, it is but apt to share them to the rest of the world,” Malanyaon said, pointing out that by complimenting these resources with well-planned development is a sure way of maximizing these resources to its full potential.
In addition, the governor also highlighted the many opportunities that have started to open stemming from all these development such as job generation, improvement on local businesses, and the boosting of potential investments.
Based on report from the Provincial Tourism Office, tourist arrivals in the province has skyrocketed from 17,000 in 2011 to more than 300,000 in 2015, thus, making Davao Oriental a new beehive of eco-tourism activities.
Putting premium on the environment, eco-tourism and rural tourism, the Provincial Government has also completed eco-parks and tourism sites in the different towns of the province that include Subangan Provincial Museum in the City of Mati, Aliwagwag Falls Eco Park and Riverview Park and Memorial Shrine in Cateel, Sunrise Boulevard in Baganga, Pacific View Park in Boston, Pusan Point in Caraga, Cape San Agustin Eco Park in Governor Generoso, and a Museum and Eco-Park in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Hamiguitan in San Isidro.
Malanyaon, who was recently hailed by an international organization as one of the most outstanding governors in the Philippines, said that her administration’s efforts is designed to fashion Davao Oriental into an investment-friendly location and a premiere eco-tourism destination. (PNA)