La Puerta El Paraiso

GUIMARAS, Nov. 26 (PNA) – Local excursionists topped the list of visitors in the island-province of Guimaras numbering more than 100,000 for the past 10 months of 2008.

Records provided by the Guimaras Tourism Office showed that the number of local excursionists posted a high record in March with 20,774 visitors. Visitors also registered high records in the months of April and May. In April, there were 14,397 visitors and 11,231 in May.

The number of tourist arrivals contributed greatly to the income of the province. The months of March, April and May are considered as peak summer months and mostly people prefer to go to resort and beaches.

The number of local visitors is thrice as much of the local tourists which are only 28,540 for the past 10 months. The foreign tourists posted a record of 1,697 and 4,777 for the excursionists.

The tourism industry suffered a major setback after the oil spill. Local and foreign tourists were discouraged to visit the island because of the presence of the oil sludge in the beaches.

According to Gov. Felipe Hilan Nava, the tourist arrivals in the province continue to pick up after the oil spill. More tourists are expected to flock the island as soon as the two major tourism destinations costing millions of pesos are completely developed.

More visitors will visit the island as soon as the La Puerta El Paraiso in Barangay San Roque, Nueva Valencia and Lombija Wildlife in Sitio Bombia, Barangay Napandong also in Nueva Valencia will open to the public. The La Puerta El Paraiso is owned by Helen Clarke while Lombija is owned by businessman Henry Babiera.

The La Puerta will cater tourists from Australia and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, a group of Makati-based tourism operators expressed their intention in bringing more European tourists to the island. The group already surveyed the different resorts in Guimaras, said Nava.

NUEVA VALENCIA, Guimaras – A multi-million resort here continues construction and development without environmental clearances and permit from the local government unit.

This, despite the Notice of Illegal Construction issued by Nueva Valencia Mayor Alejandro Araneta earlier.

Ongoing construction works and development of the site were witnessed by visiting reporters last Friday.

Upon learning of the report, Mayor Araneta said second notice will be served anew this week to the developers. A third notice will mean closure and stoppage of construction works, he said.

Mayor Araneta stressed though that Nueva Valencia welcomes any and all investments here. Particularly those, he shared, that will boost tourism efforts of the town in particular and the province in general. Yet these investments, he pointed out, must adhere to government rules and regulations, basic construction permits especially included.

The mayor identified one Helen Clarke with a foreign business partner as the owners, Clarke being a balikbayan (returning resident) who supposedly has similar investments in New Zealand.

At least 36 hectares are said to be included in the business venture located in a prime location of Barangay San Roque of said town. Distance from capital town of Jordan to the planned resort is some 30 kilometers.

Visiting reporters accompanied by a mayor's aide were allowed entry Friday by Clarke's working staff with a tour on one of the main construction sites.

Hazel Pontero told the group that clearing operations of the once forested area began in July last year. By October, initial construction started which now have the sprawling site of the mini-golf, beautifully-made landscaping works, buildings of two-room cemented villas and yet another clearing operation for the owner's residence.

Pontero shared that a total of 48 villas will be constructed altogether located at the back portion of the property facing the islets. From the main entrance, no construction works are easily visible with the view only that of the mini-golf, landscaped area and three mushroom-like 'huts' on top of a hill.

Next phase of the construction will see the Presidential and Honeymoon Suites, Pontero added, with a perfect location likewise on top of a hill with a full view of the sunrise and sunset. Further still is the exclusive Korean Village with some 100 cottages cum townhouses, a two-storey condotel (condominium-hotel), two swimming pools, one by the white-sand beachfront, a coffee-shop and resto-bar inside a cave. A turtle island will also form part of the attraction here with the three islets facing the mainland of the property connected with wooden floating bamboo bridges.

Workers seen by the group were scattered in the area with one group concentrated on the remaining buildings of the villas.

Construction foreman Frank Lanoy said he and his workers are from CDC Construction based in Lapu-Lapu City. A notice of P200 adult entrance fee and P150 for children was written boldly in a marker. Though not yet opened to the public, Pontero explained such as necessary to deter many interested onlookers from entering the site. The resort is called La Puerta El Paraiso (The door to paradise).

Mayor Araneta said he has personally talked to Clarke with Guimaras Provincial Tourism Officer Angie Gabinete present. He recalled the conversation to have occurred sometime in January where the mayor advised Clarke to submit required paperworks.

Among those specified by Mayor Araneta were project development plans, an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and the barangay resolution for social acceptability of the barangay.

How major construction and development started minus such escaped the mayor yet he assured of immediate action.

It cannot go on, Mayor Araneta told reporters present, stressing building permits and requirements must be met first.