The provincial government of Sorsogon announced on Monday the reopening of its doors to both local and foreign tourists with better infrastructure, improved facilities, and more attractions in several tourism sites.
In a statement, Governor Francis Escudero assured that “a more beautiful and better” province awaits tourists when they visit Sorsogon as travel restrictions are eased around the country with the decline in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases.
“Noong nagsara ang mundo nang dahil sa pandemya, ginawa namin itong oportunidad upang mapaganda pa ang aming lalawigan. Nagkaroon ng mga renovation at improvement sa ilan sa aming mga tourism sites, pati mga kalye at iba pang mga imprastraktura ay ipinagawa. (When the world closed because of the pandemic, we used it as an opportunity to make our province more beautiful. Renovation and improvements were done in some of our tourist sites, even roads, and other infrastructure, too),” Escudero said.
On March 5, the governor will lead the blessing and inauguration of the new Bulusan Eco-Tourism Center and Facilities and the Bulusan Eco-Adventours at the Bulusan Natural Park, which has been closed since the March 2020 lockdown.
Amenities at the Bulusan Park have been upgraded and expanded to include an al fresco coffee shop and restaurant, a massage and spa area, and a bigger souvenir shop.
Bobby Gigantone, chief of the Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Office, expressed optimism that the town will attract even a fraction of the pre-pandemic visitors as the country transitions to the new normal. In 2019, Bulusan received 141,000 visitors, mostly locals.
Last week, the town of Donsol has reopened its “butanding” (whale shark) interaction, with health protocols in place to ensure the safety of visitors.
Gigantone said some 13,000 locals and foreigners visited Donsol, known as the “Whale Shark Capital of the World,” from January to May 2019.
The public was given a preview of the province’s famous tourism destinations in the recently-concluded television series “I Left My Heart in Sorsogon.”
“Our province is more beautiful and better now kasi pinagsikapan namin itong pagandahin simula noong mag-lockdown noong Marso 2020 (because we worked hard to make it beautiful since the March 2020 lockdown), and I am excited to welcome both our kababayan (countrymen) and foreigner friends alike,” Escudero said. (PNA)
