Conclusion

It is concluded that tourism development in Northern Palawan can

provide a good opportunity to promote sustainable development. However,
for successful implementation, the following conditions should be met. An
Environmental Management System should function effectively. ECAN Zoning
(statutory land use planning) must be prepared and enforced. EIA procedures
and environmental monitoring must be properly and strictly applied. The
public sector needs to take the initiative on development of the basic
infrastructure. Local manpower needs to be developed to capture the benefits
of tourism development. Local government and communities need to be
involved in the process of planning, investment, operation and management.
And mobilisation of the private sector for investment and development is
required.

Chapter Twenty-two

Ecotourism in the Bohol

Province: the Philippines
Rene Lopez Relampagos

Introduction
Based on statistics of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),
tourism has become one of the worlds largest industries. As early as 1993,
it was accounting for about 6% of the worlds gross national product. In
1998, the tourist receipts in the Philippines amounted to US$246.76 million.
The countrys Senate Commission on tourism has predicted that the tourism
industry will generate one of every ten new jobs that will be created in the
country by the year 2004 and it is estimated that tourism will contribute 6%
of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP).
Tourism is becoming a fast growing industry in Bohol, my province,
the tenth largest island in the Philippines, right in the heart of Central Visayas.
Bohol has a rich wellspring of ecology, history, culture and natural heritage
sites that have earned worldwide interest. We Boholanos envision Bohol to
be the prime eco-cultural destination and a strong agro-industrial province
in the country. The existing tourism activities on the island and established
tourism facilities go to show that Bohol is gaining prestige as a tourist
destination in the region.
The roles of business and industry, community and government are
changing radically. One clear result of these global changes is that society
has increasing expectations that industries, such as tourism, will deliver better
and broader value services. This is, essentially, sustainability.
Recognising the challenge of sustainability, the world community
adopted AGENDA 21, a program of sustainable development, during the 1992
Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the
Philippines in 1995, the Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21) was promulgated to
define thematic and specific regional priorities for sustainable development.
Based on the PA 21, the Department of Tourism (DOT) developed a National
Framework on Sustainable Development.
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Current Status of Ecotourism

The Province of Bohol, in its development agenda, has identified three
priority growth areas to be accorded focus in terms of development and
promotion. They are agri-industrialisation, light manufacturing and ecotourism.
Aware of the ecotourism potential of the province, both public and private
investments are taking an approach that seeks to attain simultaneous
economic, ecological and cultural objectives.
For countries like the Philippines, and the Province of Bohol in
particular with considerable biodiversity, this has posed a difficult policy
question because we do not know yet, in quantitative terms, the conservation
and development value of ecotourism. Neither do we know to what extent
its benefits can be maximised. What we certainly know, however, is that
without an appropriate policy planning and management framework it will
not succeed.

The Bohol Agenda 21

During the past years, the province has achieved vital goals: (i) in
governance, whereby the provincial leadership has been consistent in its
pursuit of participatory and democratic processes, and this is a mark of
the present administration; (ii) terms of legislation, with the adoption of the
Bohol Environment Code of 1998, the Provincial Administrative Code and
the upcoming Bohol Investment Code and other proactive legislation, which
reveals a legislative body that is responsive to the needs of the times; (iii) in
promoting a critical awareness on environment conservation and protection
which has slowly permeated the consciousness of the Boholanos; (iv) in
developing increasing interest in the propensity for cultural work and artistic
activities in Bohol; a phenomenon which has contributed greatly to the
protection of Bohols remaining frontiers of ecological and cultural heritage;
and (v) in promoting the attractiveness of eco-cultural sites to foreign and
domestic tourists which has placed the province in the limelight of the
industry.
The Province of Bohol is cognisant of its potential for ecotourism as
well as the fact that as a logical component of sustainable development,
ecotourism necessitates careful planning (both physical and managerial), a
multidisciplinary approach, strict guidelines, high standards and regulation
that will ensure sustainable operations. The Bohol Agenda 21, the Philippine
Agenda 21 in the Province of Bohol, and the Centrepiece Program for
the New Millennium together provide a unified sustainable development
agenda for the province. To facilitate its implementation and formulation,
the Sustainable Integrated Area-based Development (SIAD) program will be
utilised to implement PA 21. Inter-sectoral involvement and broad-based
participation of business, government and civil society (which balances state
intervention and market forces with public participation) are essential to make
sustainable development a reality.
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The projected output of the SIAD will be the Bohol Sustainable

Integrated Area Development Master Plan, composed of interrelated plans,
namely: the Eco-cultural Tourism Plan the Agro-industrial Plan, the Social
Development (Poverty Alleviation) Plan; and SIAD feasibility studies for
identified projects.

An Environment Management System

The Provincial Government of Bohol is embarking, together with the
Industrial Initiatives for Sustainable Environment (IISE), on a joint project
developing an Environment Management System (EMS). The basis of an EMS
is to manage the environment by integrating it into the overall management of
businesses and, hence, promote and sustain businesses.
In this joint endeavour, the parties undertake the following activities:
(i) perform an Environment Review of selected environment-related activities;
(ii) develop an Action Plan to carry out the agreement on the promotion of
the Environment Management System (EMS) and Pollution Prevention and
Cleaner Production (CP) practices; (iii) formulate a practicable mechanism for
sustainability of the program; (iv) encourage municipal local government units
to participate in the projects site-level activities, particularly in integrating
pollution planning with municipal land use and zoning initiatives, as well
as integrating the issuing of environment protection permits to business;
(v) promote widespread adoption of EMS and CP in the province; and (vi)
disseminate information on the various aspects of EMS to citizens and
relevant sectors.

The Bohol Enviroment Code of 1998

The stakeholders of Bohol, representing various sectors of the
province, drafted the Bohol Environment Code which agrees to adopt
adequate measures to safeguard and conserve land, minerals, forests and
other resources, and to protect the environment by imposing appropriate
penalties for criminal acts which endanger it and such other activities which
result in pollution, acceleration of euthropication of rivers and lakes, or impact
on the ecological balance.
The Bohol Provincial Government declared to secure, for the use and
employment of the present and future generations of Boholanos, the perpetual
existence of adequate environment and natural resources in order to support
indefinitely the sustainable development requirements of the province. The
Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) was created to ensure
effective implementation of the Bohol Environment Code of 1998 and to assist
the various local government units of the province on matters of environmental
management, in coordination with non-government organisations that are
developing and implementing environmental projects in the province.

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Bohol Tourism Development and Promotion

The Provincial Government created the Tourism Development and
Promotions Unit at the Bohol Investment and Promotion Centre, under the
Office of the Governor, to make certain that tourism project development
(both public and private) be in accordance with the principles of ecotourism.
The agency undertakes the promotion of Bohol as the Heritage Province,
and the Eco-cultural Destination of the country, as well as promoting private
ecotourism projects in the province.
The Provincial Tourism Sketch Plan is a document that shows how
the tourist assets of the province can be developed into thematic and
non-thematic tourism circuits and how they could be promoted cost-effectively
to developers and to tourists, and most importantly with the least negative
impact on the environment and the host community. The Centre for Culture
and Arts Development (CCAD), under the Office of the Governor, was created
to preserve and revitalise the intangible forms of our provinces cultural
heritage. It undertakes the development, promotion and preservation of
Boholanos art and culture which are deemed vital to the establishment of
a Boholano identity. The Provincial Government organised a multi-sectorally,
representative Tourism Council which is a policy-making, advisory and
recommendatory body to the provincial leadership on matters relating to the
development, regulation and promotion of tourism in the province. Municipal
counterparts of this body are also being encouraged in order to oversee
proper tourism development initiatives at local government level.
Aside from the Provincial Government through its various offices, there
are key institutions which are assisting in the promotion of ecotourism in
the province. They include the DOT, which through the conduct of various
technical workshops aims at maintaining sustainable development in tourism
policies and programs in the local government units. The responsibilities of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) include the
development of the Rajah Sikatuna National Park in Bilar as an ecotourism
destination; implementation of environment laws, regulations and policies and
the monitoring of the implementation of the laws for the preservation and
conservation of natural resources; and together with DOT, is instrumental
in formulating a framework that will serve as a guide in the development
of national policy and strategic guidelines on ecotourism. The Coastal
Resource Management Program assists communities, private groups and local
governments in planning for sustainable coastal ecotourism management, to
ensure balanced use of coastal resources, provide environmentally friendly
livelihood and business opportunities to communities, mitigate environmental
impacts and promote greater environmental awareness and best practices.
Then there is the World Wide Fund for Nature-Kabong Kalikasan Ng Pilipmas
(WWF-KKP) effort which assisted in the establishment of the Pamilacan Island
Dolphin and Whale Watching enterprise, a community-based sustainable
tourism project. And, finally, the First Consolidated Bank, Inc. provides the
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livelihood and promotions assistance to community organisations involved

in tourism ventures.

Success Stories
Bohol Province has initiated, along with the private sector, ecotourism
projects as showcases in the province. Two community-based, ecotourism
alternative livelihood enterprises are described here.
The first is the Cambuhat River and Village Enterprise. This is a
community-based ecotour venture operated by the Cambuhat Enterprise
Development and Fisherman Association (CEDFA) in Cambuhat, Buenavista,
Bohol. The tour features a paddle-boat river ride, whereby tourists learn
about the values and local management of the estuarine and mangrove
ecosystem, and includes a tour to oyster-culture farms and the village to
see the traditional industries. The ecotour venture has helped in generating
community cooperation, and government and private sector collaboration
in local environment management. The enterprise is being assisted by the
CRMP, Municipal Government of Buenavista, the Provincial Government of
Bohol, the First Consolidated Bank Foundation, Inc. and the Bohol Federation
of Travel and Tour Operators.
The other example is the Pamilacan Dolphin and Whale Watching
Village. This ecotour venture was initiated by the WWF-KKP with the
community through the Pamilacan Island Dolphin and Whale Watching
Organisation. The teamwork involved has allowed the people of the island
to generate income through an alternative enterprise, the tour, while at the
same time conserving the marine mammal population around the island.
The project is supported by an inter-agency task force for marine mammal
conservation.

Conclusion
In the continually growing tourism industry and the emerging
phenomenon of ecotourism, areas of vast potential are waiting to be explored.
But there are pitfalls as well. It is therefore important that every country should
set up national tourism plans in the context of a sustainable development
strategy, from which all other tourism plans in the local government units
must follow. The plan should include the social, environmental and cultural
components as well as ecotourism guidelines.
Ecotourism must lend itself to the preservation of the integrity and
quality of the environment, while management of an ecotourism area must
focus on environmentally-sound development activities. Effective nature
conservation can only be achieved by rational, judicious and sustainable
management of all the biological and geographical resources in the tourist
areas.
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Given the growing reality of a global village (or a planet constantly

shrinking in size), the strategy for ecotourism development can start from
a regional point of view. Several countries within a regional grouping or
with common biographic features (e.g. ASEAN) could work in partnership so
as to offer an attractive integrated package in the growing world market of
ecotourism services. This would provide an excellent opportunity for a country
like the Philippines, or a province like Bohol whose geographic location
makes it ideal for regional initiatives. Importantly, the process for drawing
up plans should be highly participatory as all concerned sectors have a
vital role to play.

Chapter Twenty-three

Ecotourism and Green

Productivity in Singapore
Tan Kok Yeang

Introduction
Singapore consists of the main island of Singapore and some 63 islets
within its territorial waters. It is situated approximately 137 km north of the
Equator. The main island is about 42 km in length and 23 km in breadth, and
585.4 km2 in area. It has a coastline of approximately 150.5 km. The total land
area, including the islets, is 648.1 km2.
Singapores neighbours are Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Singapore
is linked to Peninsular Malaysia by a 1.1 km causeway over the Straits of
Johore and a 1.9 km bridge at Tuas. The causeway linking Peninsular Malaysia
carries a road, a railway and a water pipeline. Two other causeways link
Singapore with her Offshore Islands one with Sentosa and Pulau Brani,
the other with Pulau Damar Laut.
Physically, the island can be roughly divided into three regions:
the central hilly region of igneous rock formation; the western region of
sedimentary rocks, forming undulating hills and valleys; and the relatively flat
eastern region of sand and gravel.
As at the end of 1998, the land use statistics were as shown in Box 1.

Box 1: Land Use

Area in km 2
Total land area (main island and offshore islets)

648.1

Built-up areas (including industrial sites)

323.0

Farms

10.4

Forest

28.4

Marsh and tidal waste

15.5

Others (inland waters, open spaces, public

gardens, cemeteries, non-built-up areas in military
establishments and unused land)

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270.6