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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- More than PHP3 million from the proceeds of a power generator, which was shared to the Misamis Oriental provincial government, will be spent to build a tourism destination site in Claveria town.
Lawyer Jeffrey Saclot, provincial tourism officer, said the construction of the Misamis Oriental Agriculture and Tourism Complex will start in the first quarter this year after the bidding process has been completed.
The facility will stand in the area of Flight 387 Memorial Shrine, a patch of land dedicated to those who perished when a Cebu Pacific airplane crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Gingoog City on Feb. 2, 1998.
Families and friends of those who died in the crash frequent the memorial shrine and not long after people started visiting the site making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the province.
Saclot said the complex will house a flower farm, camping site, fruit stand, a bridge, coffee shop, function rooms and other amenities, which is expected to attract more visitors to Misamis Oriental.
“This will have a huge impact on the local tourism,” Saclot said in an interview Saturday, adding that the memorial shrine alone has already attracted thousands of tourists.
“Once completed, more people will come to visit it,” he added.
The fund used to construct the complex mostly came from the share of German company Steag State Power’s profits from its power generation, and was given to the provincial government in the amount of PHP3.54 million.
During the turnover of the PHP3.54 million check last Dec. 23, Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano said he would show to the Steag management “that the money that you entrusted to the provincial government will never go to waste. We will implement it properly.”
In a statement, Dr. Carsten Evers, Steag power plant manager, said the fund is part of the PHP17.8 million that the provincial government has received this year representing its share in the electricity sales of the company pursuant to the ER 1-94 program of the Department of Energy (DOE).
DOE said the ER 1-94 provides for the financial benefits to host communities where the energy provider is located.
“We are happy to be part of the provincial government’s tourism advocacy by using the funds for the development of the Provincial Botanical and Tourism Complex in Claveria,” he said.
About five years ago, Steag provided PHP6.6 million to the province for the establishment of the Agutayan watch tower in Jasaan town, which serves not only for the marine protection efforts but also for the ecotourism campaign of the provincial government.
“We congratulate Gov. Bambi Emano for his leadership that helped position the province as a major tourism and investment destination in Mindanao,” Evers said. (PNA)
