Loon town might have suffered the most during the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol but the rubbles and devastation left in its aftermath are not reasons enough for Loonanons not to rise and dream big. With no less than Gov. Edgar M. Chatto, now considered one of the gurus of good governance and tourism, at the province's helm, it's no big surprise that the townspeople are vastly entertaining thoughts of making Loon Bohol's gateway to cruise tourism in Central Visayas. In fact, Mayor Peter Lloyd Lopez could not quite contain his excitement just thinking of his raw and inexperienced town's new venture into the top-notch world of tourism. Gov. Chatto, then a representative of Bohol's First District and one of the authors of the country's tourism bible called the Tourism Act of 2009 (RA 9593), is so thrilled about the idea and has no qualms of turning Loon into a Tourism Economic Zone (TEZ).

"The Boholanos are known to be resilient and persevering people; so, there is no reason why we could not realize this dream however impossible it is at this stage," the governor reasoned out. Taking into account Catagbacan Port where cruise ships used to dock before it was destroyed by the earthquake, and where same type of ships are still expected to come in after its repair, turning Loon into a cruise tourism hub is no big surprise. With the strong conviction of making Bohol one of the tourism greats in the world, giving full support to the incumbent Provincial Leadership is now one of the main concerns of the Aquino Administration. The Provincial Government is now in close coordination with the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority or TIEZA (formerly Philippine Tourism Authority) headed by Mark Lapid, and the Department of Tourism (DOT), with much help from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to make this very tall dream come true the soonest time possible.

TIEZA's primary objectives of accelerating tourism development, such as assisting LGUs in initiating tourism infrastructure, promoting investments and of generating income and creating jobs are undeniably in sync with the Chatto-Lim Administration's priorities in boosting Bohol's utmost tourism potentials, Chatto enthused.Tasks to be taken on as a result of earlier discussions among stakeholders are the incorporation of heritage structures and eco-tourism sites in package tours; the pouring in of full infra and logistics needed for the project; and the introduction of new, preferably home-grown products specifically designed to fit in with cruise tourism that could be among the investment-driven strategies which everyone should be focused on.Moreover, introducing marine and on-shore entertainment incorporating therein sports, health and wellness to sustain tour destinations could also be underscored. In addition, enhancing marketing strategies and strengthening development by promoting corporate activities could ensure success through year-round efficient management enterprise.Making sure that said undertaking would succeed without hitches, certain studies and comparisons were made by stakeholders between Bohol and some paradise island tourism sites like Barbados in the Caribbean and the "Smallest Island" international tourism resort of Sentosa in Singapore.

Similar to Bohol, the Barbados Islands has agriculture, information technology and labor services as its strong economic drivers despite being smaller in size. Having only a total land area of 438 square kilometers and a total population of 282,221, Barbados is so much smaller as compared to Bohol's 4,117 square kilometers and total population of 1.255M, respectively. Despite its meager population and much-smaller land area, with only one international airport and two cruise tourism ports, Barbados has been able to host international competitions, house 5-and-6-star hotels, host international sports events and contribute 18% to national employment. As to Sentosa, it has a very rich marine life like Bohol, comparable long stretches of white pristine beaches, 5-star hotels and an array of rich talents for theater performances, also very much like Bohol. Adding to Gov. Chatto's excitement was upon learning the fact that Bohol has all the five elements of cruise tourism like accessibility to international and island-wide transport connectivity, attraction in having world-class tourist destinations, varied activities and entertainment, ample accommodation, and world-class amenities.

Data generated from the joint DOT-JICA 2007 study has generated four tourism clusters in Bohol, namely: Cluster One - composed of Tagbilaran, Panglao, Loon, Loboc, Baclayon, Carmen, Pamilacan and Balicasag, international and regional inter-island cruise, famed white beaches, marine life, sports, eco-tourism, dive sites; Cluster Two - from Jagna to Anda (Southeast) Seaboard, quality beaches, dive sites, Euro & Asian destinations, potential larger integrated resorts, coastal estates; Cluster Three - Tubigon to Jetafe (Northwest) Seaboard, secondary gateway from Cebu, community-based tourism, potential eco-tourism, health/wellness; and Cluster Four - Mabini-Ubay-Trinidad-Talibon-Lapinig/Garcia-Jao, Mahanay Islands, Leyte gateway, community-based tourism, potential eco-tourism, and health/wellness. Gov. Chatto pointed out that for sometime now, Tagbilaran City has been fast becoming the favorite cruise ship destination in the country and that this is a very strong indication that showcasing Bohol as a prime cruise tourism port is not far-fetched albeit a very tall task. Groomed to be the gateway to cruise tourism in Central Visayas, Loon is expected to be able to deliver more sea travel between and among neighboring islands, serve as host and dock area of local and international passenger and cruise ships, open up more trade in the islands, and more importantly, boost income and employment in the province. Also, thanks to the national government's sincere commitment to the Boholanos to complete the just-recently started New Bohol Airport in Panglao, investors are pouring in everyday requesting an audience with the Provincial Leadership for the chance to present their respective proposals on hydro, solar, coal and other possible sources of fuel, the governor added, quite pleased.

Million-peso proposals for golf courses, more international flights to certain countries, opening up of unique tourist destinations and attractions, ushering in contemporary and state-of-the-art business ventures, and other viable tourism activities and attractions are also among the various selections that are being laid out for the Provincial Leadership to study and choose from. With the imminent rise of the LTEZ, Gov. Chatto is energized and thrilled a million times over for in just his second term as Governor, Bohol has achieved so much more than its share of blessings and good tidings due to the Chatto-Lim Administration's excellent working partnership with all sectors of the community. One of the boosters to keep the Looananos rise to the challenge is the good news that the Bohol travel delegation is scheduled to attend the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) travel mart in Cambodia in September. (jlv/EDCom)