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Orani eyes a future in ecotourism

[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=””][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” last=”no” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=””][fusion_text]As a municipality with more than a third of its land area devoted to forest reservation and the Bataan National Park, Orani’s natural endowment will be the key to its sustainable and inclusive growth and the anchor for its vision to rank within the top five ecotourism destinations in Central Luzon by 2020.

Even with hundreds of tourists visiting the municipality every day because of its existing natural parks and small lodging establishments, its tourism industry still needs public infrastructure and marketing support. Orani’s strategy focuses on the development of the Tala area, which sits on the slopes of Mount Natib, as an ecotourism destination to be known for its cool climate and a breathtaking view of the Bataan National Park. It also involves setting up services to support the tourism sector through tour packages for the ecotourism destinations, a marketing campaign dubbed ‘Witness Orani’, a tourism promotion center serving as a tourist help desk and a pasalubong center, facilitation of tourism investments, and assistance of landowners in converting parts of their farms into tourism destinations. The municipality also eyes transforming the barangays into Clean, Orderly, Safe, and Congenial (COSCo) barangays through improved wayfinding, tricycle drivers, and tanods.

As Orani Municipal Mayor Efren Dominic Pascual, Jr. put it, “The ardent need for holistic development and participatory governance urged us to put forward our aspirations and begin with adapting mechanisms that will translate our dream into a workable and attainable schema.” By supporting and promoting the ecotourism sector, Orani hopes to achieve growth that is environment-friendly and sustainable; while engaging the entire community to ensure that this growth will benefit all.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]