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PH's Masungi Georeserve receives UNWTO recognition

By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

September 13, 2019, 11:05 am

<p>The Legacy Trail at Masungi Georeserve <em>(Photo courtesy of Masungi Georeserve Foundation)</em></p>

The Legacy Trail at Masungi Georeserve (Photo courtesy of Masungi Georeserve Foundation)

MANILA -- The Masungi Georeserve in Rizal province has received an international recognition for its sustainable tourism practices at the annual World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards in Saint Petersburg, Russia on Thursday.

Masungi Georeserve was nominated last year as a global finalist for the UNWTO Awards for Enterprises, the flagship awards of the global tourism sector, along with two other finalists from Italy and India.

The three were chosen among around 190 applications from 71 countries that vied in the three awards categories: Public Policy and Governance, Enterprises, and Non-Governmental Organizations. The 2019 UNWTO Awards for Enterprises eventually went to Community Impact by V Resorts, V Resorts (under the aegis of Bliss Inns Pvt. Ltd.), India.

"When we first started geotourism at Masungi, we hoped that guests would see something special in it like we did. Fast forward to today, the project is receiving its third international nod from no less than the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)," the Masungi Georeserve said in a statement Thursday.

"Our wish came true, for the world to see something special in a piece of rock that was abandoned many years ago, and for the world to come together to protect it," it added.

The destination, known for its sprawling limestone landscape and trails perched on towering trees, is located at Kilometer 47, Marcos Highway in the town of Baras, Rizal.

For over a decade, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation has sustained and increased measures to protect the 2,700 hectares of vulnerable land, often targeted as a site for quarry and illegal logging.

Although challenges persist in its conservation efforts, the foundation said the UN recognition strengthens their resolve to further protect the destination.

"We will not, as we have not, shy away from facing the complex challenges in conservation and innovation in the Philippine setting.

On behalf of the Masungi family, thank you for supporting us in your own different ways," it said. Early this year, the conservation area was also nominated for the World Travel & Tourism Council's Destination Stewardship Award. (PNA)

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