JICA Finalizes Eco-Tour Packages for “Visit Bohol 2015”

Tagbilaran City, Bohol (PIA) –Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) finalizes the details on three major eco-tourism circuits it supported through its Sustainable Environment Protection Project (SEPP) in Bohol.

Calling it EcoTourism Bohol Program in support of the United States Agency for International Development’s Visit Bohol 2015, JICA SEPP not just promises site visits but also a website and page support to allow tourists relevant site information at the snap of a QR Card Scanning cellphone.

It also puts up distinct guideplates and banners to provide instant capsulized information about the sites and its relevance to the environment.

Tour packages in the pipelines are Bohol east-coast Eco-tour, a ten-hour day trip package; Bohol Culture and Nature Tour, a 6-hour day trip package and Bohol West Coast eco-tour 8 hour tour package.

Bohol East Coast Eco Tour includes Lamanoc Mystic Island Trekking, Anda Beaches and Lunch, Bohol Cocojam Processing (Calamay (Jagna) and Clarin Ancestral House in Loay.

For Bohol Culture and Nature Tour, included in the package are Alburquerque Calamay, Loay Ironsmith Experience, Organic Rice and Agricultural learning technologies at Balay sa Humay in Batuan, Tree Planting Experience at the Bohol Biodiversity Conservation Foundation and Clarin Ancestral House in Loay.

Bohol West Coast Tour in the other hand has Pinayagan Loomweaving Experience in Tubigon, Coral Stair and Heritage Walk at Inang-angan in Loon Town Complex, 2013 Earthquake Experience Tour at Punta Cruz Watchtower, Organic Farm and Lunch experience in Maribojoc and SAVIMA Mangrove Adventure tour in Maribojoc.

The tour packages are part of the Sustainable Environment Protection Project for Panglao, explains Go Kimura, during an interview.

The general idea is to help 150 eco-tour destinations in Bohol, he shared. These would be on the one town, more than one eco-tour, he added.

For starters, JICA is putting up the 15 eco-tour sites in Bohol.

Other than the digital information support, JICA is also improving roadsigns, improving restroom facilities, kitchen facilities, site signages, access road improvements, tourist collaterals like straw hats and rubber boots, provision of souvenir tents, benches, drybags, canopy walks improvement, tree name plates and other information related collaterals. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Bohol)