Feature Release

‘Metro Bulusan’ an Asian Disaster Preparedness Center Project

By: Irma A. Guhit

Sorsogon City, February 14 – Immersing into the different municipalities here in the province of Sorsogon, particularly Pto. Diaz to inspect the core shelter constructed through the Department of Social Welfare and Development last December 15, 2010, DSWD Undersecretary Vilma Cabrera felt the need to provide the province of Sorsogon not only disaster risk reduction initiatives but more on highlighting a developmental landscape that will feature the tourism potential of the province particularly Bulusan and the four other municipalities within its peripheries namely Casiguran, Juban, Irosin and Barcelona. The project will be known as “Metro Bulusan”.

Through the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) United Nation Development Program  DSWD Bicol Recovery Project, the five territorial  municipalities within the Bulusan Volcano Natural Park will be provided with developmental initiatives through tourism training, livelihood programs, enhanced disaster preparedness and risk reduction management and capacity enhancement that hopefully will trigger assured development, holistic and integrative plan that will insure socio-economic development within definitive goals for eco-tourism activities.

“We will provide local governments with assistance in strategic planning and development. We will also train local people on advocacy campaigns and fund resource mobilization and the right awareness of how they will be able to harness their tourism potentials. The plan of creating a cohesive action within and among the five-territorial municipalities within the Bulusan Volcano Natural Park will be translated into sustainable livelihood opportunities focusing on the value of ecotourism,” Secretary Cabrera said.

Former Sorsogon governor Sally Ante-Lee, now the executive director of the Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (SPMO) said that the conceptualization of Metro Bulusan project is Governor Raul R. Lee’s commitment to propel the province as one distinct ecotourism destination in the Philippines.

The project is about to start early March of this year according to Mrs. Lee.

“It is noteworthy that with the Ecotourism Code passed by the legislative body during the time of former governor Sally Ante Lee and the networks she has maintained, giving her the task to connect with our national figures aside from our foreign funding agency, the bright prospects for tourism in our province is one of the many potentials that we have to be aware of,” Sorsogon Governor Raul Lee expressed.

“It is also my desire that we have to maintain the simple but beautiful natural look of our province. The development programs we are initiating in the different municipalities in our province will be harmonized looking into the importance of our still intact natural rustic landscape. We are also looking into the different natural wealth of our province that while these has to be utilized, the safety nets should be also be in placed especially that the thrusts of the province is towards climate change mitigation and adaptation,” Gov. Lee further explained. (PIA Sorsogon)