After the quake, Bohol tourism takes slow path to recovery

PANGLAO ISLAND, Bohol – In the early morning light, before the sun’s glare starts to hurt the eyes, island women collect shells in the shallow waters for their family meal, unmindful of tourists strolling down the white sandy beach.

 

Resort staff rake the coarse sand clean of debris washed ashore the previous night, as guests start wading in the sea and staking their claim on the lounging chairs. Local teachers, who arrived in a large group almost unexpectedly the day before, are cheerfully taking photos after finishing breakfast.

 

The peaceful setting and holiday mood almost makes one forget that just two months ago, Bohol was portrayed in the news as a disaster zone – with old cathedrals crumbling from the power of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that killed more than 200 people and left a jittery populace.

 

Hope Uy, the youthful managing director of South Palms resort, said they had debated about going through with their soft opening last Dec. 1 after the disaster scared off tourists. The family decided to go ahead after her sister’s wedding reception had to be moved there, because the hotel where it was supposed to be held was damaged by the quake.

 

Carved out of the former Bohol Beach Club, Panglao’s first upscale resort, South Palms boasts 700 meters of beachfront, reputedly the longest on the island. With many parts of the coast covered by rocky shoreline, the bragging rights are understandable, even if the sand here is not quite as fine as Boracay’s powder.

 

“Hotels and resorts wala namang na-damage, except for aftershocks – meron silang nafi-feel nang kaunti pero walang area na may problem,” Gov. Edgar Chatto assured a media group from Manila last week.

 

The local government has joined forces with the tourism industry and the USAID-Compete project, which aims to increase economic competitiveness in key growth cities, in rehabilitation efforts. South Palms hosted the media group, including GMA News Online, invited by the foreign-assisted project to see what they have done.

 

The optimism of the entrepreneurial Uy family – which also owns Peanut Kisses, the most popular pasalubong item from Bohol – reflects the bullish sentiment of businesses in the province. Their agribusiness ventures are the main source of the food they serve at the resort, their first foray into the tourism industry, and despite dismal bookings, they are set to make their grand opening early next year.

 

Pastoral scenery

 

Indeed, resorts have been sprouting up in Panglao as travelers looking for a more quiet and relaxed atmosphere seek out its exclusive resorts for some downtime. While the party crowd flocks to Alona beach, discerning tourists are content to enjoy the slow rural pace of the island, where few vehicles ply the wide roads.

 

The mainland of Bohol is just as bucolic, with a typical country drive passing through quiet little towns crisscrossed by gently flowing rivers. Verdant ricefields sparkle below the famous Chocolate Hills, which are spread out across six towns.

 

“Don’t worry na may mabiyak na isa, dalawa, kasi libo 'yan,” said Lucas Nunag, president of the Bohol Tourism Council. The local joke is that erosion and landslides from the quake have left strips of vanilla and white chocolate on the hills, he quipped.

 

Independent travelers are still coming in, but mass market tourism suffered as group tours for Chinese and Korean visitors were canceled after the disaster, Nunag said. He added that Bohol is popular for quick trips: “Marami kang makikita in half a day – Blood Compact memorial, Baclayon, Loboc, man-made forest, Chocolate Hills.”

 

Adventure tourism was also affected, noted Andrea Echavez, communications consultant of USAID-Compete. She said one of the facilities that sustained major damage was Danao Adventure Park, the main destination for adrenaline junkies in Bohol because of its rugged terrain of mountains and caves.

 

In the aftermath of the quake, tourism players are looking at a new cluster of attractions on the less visited side of the mainland – the Abatan River mangrove and fireflies, the ruins in Maribojoc and Loon church, and new landscapes that arose from the geological upheaval.

 

Congested airport

 

Before they can attract more tourists, however, Bohol needs to fix its tiny airport, which is struggling to accommodate domestic flights during daytime hours. After queuing to get into the terminal, passengers still have to wait for their turn outside the departure lounge, which has a limited number of seats.

 

“Wala kaming night-flying facilities. Sayang nga e kasi Korea, Taiwan, China even, they have been knocking at our doors na mag-charter. Hindi kaya, kasi walang mapaglagyan at okupado na ng domestic flights buong araw,” said Nunag.

 

When the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) imposed stricter rules, the airport also had to limit the number of planes on the tarmac.  

 

“Dati kasi, pwedeng dalawang planes nasa apron,” Nunag explained. “Nung naghigpit 'yung CAAP, paisa-isa na lang. 'Pag sinabing congestion, one plane ‘yon na naka-parking sa tarmac. Hindi pwedeng pagsabayin 'yung dalawa.”

 

Bidding for the new Bohol international airport in Panglao, which has been on the drawing board for many years now, is scheduled next year but Nunag – who owns the boutique-sized Amarela resort on the island – is not hopeful about its prospects.

 

“Itong airport project na ito has been 25 years in the making, hindi mabuo-buo. Na-bidding na 'yan tapos na-cancel,” he said. The new deadline: “As usual, ‘yung sinasabing before the end of the term of the President. Very ambitious, but we’ll see,” Nunag added, saying Aquino’s predecessor had made the same promise.

 

He noted that Panglao is one-third bigger than Cebu’s Mactan island, now a burgeoning tourism haven of upscale hotels and resorts, so a new airport could certainly go a long way in developing the tourism industry of the province.

 

“It’s going to be a game-changer talaga for Bohol,” concluded Nunag. —KG, GMA News