Do not mind the grossly misinformed and misdirected radio commentators that suddenly sprouted in the airlanes recently. It is election time and they are mouthing fake and distorted information that their candidates cannot muster enough courage to denigrate their political adversary.
CNN travels recently exposed the truth: Davao City is one of the top 18 under-rated travel destinations in the whole of Asia.
Let us rattle off what makes Davao the prime City in Mindanao contrary to the mouth pieces of a mayoral bet who presents himself as the preferred alternative choice for Mayor.
-Davao City is in Southeast Asia’s top five most peaceful and cleanest Cities;
- It is the most livable and child-friendly City in the Philippines
- Davao City is the commercial and communications hub of Mindanao and its peaceful climate and economic growth are beacons to investors. A mayoral candidate, if what his commentators are saying are true, wants to set up heavy industries purportedly to generate employment. That is a dangerous proposition. It is in fact an infirm agenda because it will merely create pollution problem and it is absolutely untrue that heavy industries could generate employment. Computerization and robots have taken over those types of industries.
The Duterte administrations on the other hand opted for tourism, commerce, food and call center hubs which industries are all employment generators.
Talking of CNN travels which tagged Davao City as one of the 18 under-rated tourism destination in the world, maybe the next set of local officials after the coming May elections should lend focus on tourism infrastructures.
Our mountain resorts in Marilog are drawing local and domestic tourists and concrete roads and bridges have reached deeper into the hinterlands where indigenous tribes plant vegetables, cacao and coffee trees.
Eden Nature Park had successfully revived the lush forest of pines and mahoganies that were once lost to illegal loggers. The stream have come back to life. The mountain resort and several others of its kind are beacons to tourists.
Catigan in upper Toril, we learned, had been declared by the City government for tourism development. Last Christmas break we ventured into the area and discovered that even at the foothills vegetation has covered many bald mountains before. Higher in Catigan, known before for Catigan bilaka dwarf coconut, trees are back. Farmers in the barangay are taking care of their organically grown vegetables, coffee and cacao trees and patches of fresh breath flowers.
Catigan Mountain Breeze carefully carved a niche which overlooked the vast expanse of the City Center. The cool breeze and clean air that waft through the well-preserved and newly planted trees makes the resort a perfect place to unwind, escape the huddle and bustle of the City traffic and write.
Maybe the Tourism Department as well as the City Tourism Office invest a bit more on tourism infrastructures to make Catigan one more prime destinations in Davao City for local, domestic and foreign tourists. Let them enjoy the paradise the City is endowed with.
