By JIMMY C. CALAPATI

Located southwest of Panay, Guimaras, one of the country’s smallest province, is separated physically from Iloilo by a narrow channel, which takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to cross by pumpboat from Iloilo.

Guimaras is home of the famous and the best export-quality mangoes in the Philippines. Mango plantations bearing their golden fruits are scattered in the island. Aside from mangoes, kalamansi and cashew nuts are also abundant.

The island province, formerly known as Himal-us, is also famous for its beaches. Guimaras The seas of Guimaras teem with fresh fishes, shellfishes, and corals. Clear blue waters, white sand and marine life rivals that of Boracay.

The island province however encountered an ecological disaster on Aug. 2006, after M/V Solar I, chartered by Petron, the Philippines’ largest oil refiner, carrying 2.4 million litres of oil sank of the coast, contaminating 24 sq. km. of the southwestern part of the island.

The Philippine Coast Guard called it the worst oil spill in the country’s history. According to officials, 1,000 hectares of mangrove forests have been affected.

Almost two years after the disaster, the island province is still alive.

Over the weekend, the Department of Tourism, in cooperation with the United Nations Development Fund and the Canadian Urban Institute launched the Guisi Discovery Quest, an eco-tourism adventure package geared at showcasing the area’s natural beauty.

"I was already familiar with the natural beauty of Guimaras. When I first came here 10 years ago, I really appreciated its natural beauty," Tourism secretary Ace Durano said.

"Not knowing that 10 years down the road, I would be involved in the further development of the island."

Providing livelihood for the displaced fishing communities in the island has been the focus of the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) ecological recovery program. Ever since the MT Solar sank in August 2006, a massive oil spill damaged the surrounding ecosystem and disrupted the lives of the island’s residents.

The DOT, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the local government of Guimaras implemented a project to restore the island’s precious marine environment.

Barangay Dolores, the district which harbors the village of Guisi, has also helped these organized by protecting coastal areas unaffected by the oil spill.

These untouched sectors still contain the former vibrancy and grace of Guimaras.

The DOT identified these places as possible major tourist destinations, which could also become vehicles for local economic growth – something that the fisher folk of Guisi badly needed because of the oil spill’s destructive effects.

After recognizing Guimaras’ potential, a series of workshops that focused on preserving environmental and historical landmarks were held at the DOT’s behest.

Last December 2006, a community-based heritage tourism workshop conducted by the Provincial Government of Guimaras and the CUI further improved the livelihood of Barangay Dolores’ residents.

The workshop’s beneficiaries formed the Barangay Dolores Tourism Council (BDTC), an organization that serves as the custodian of Guimaras’ precious environment. The BDTC also manages other projects geared towards heritage and eco tourism in the neighboring islands by spreading its programs through a public-private partnership initiative.

"A lot has been said about what is tourism these days, what with all the large-scale tourism developments in the country. But the legacy we would love to leave behind is the fact that more and more rural areas in the country have been benefited by tourism," Durano added.

The effort of the DOT, the BDTC and the tenacious fisher folk of Guimaras finally yielded a complete tour package known as the Guisi Discovery Quest. The entire province of benefits from this venture by providing opportunities to work as guides, kitchen staff and maintenance crew to the varied, nature-based programs.

"Almost everyone here is trained by the DOT," Durano said.

For this endeavor, the UNDP and the DOT donated an amount of P995,600 that covered expenses for skills development and various equipment.

The Guisi Discovery Quest is run and operated by the Guisi Heritage Cottage under the BDTC. It offers mountain biking, snorkeling, rappelling, boating, and trekking and is envisioned to give the visitors a total experience with a little of everything Guisi can offer.

"This is really where I see global tourism is edging—taking care of the environment, preserving community life while providing tourism services," Durano said.

The activities is packaged into two (2) categories, i.e., half day to whole day. Each tour packages have a different quality of experience for the tourist from nature to extreme adventure.

The half day tour is without rappelling and mangrove tour. It is chiefly mountain biking, boating, caving and snorkeling activities. The activities end after an hour or two of snorkeling as they pedal their way back to the light house to freshen up and rest.

From the lighthouse, foreign and local visitors can also enjoy the previously undiscovered wonders of Guisi Beaches, or the lush wilderness trails leading to the majestic Panluron Falls.

The true spirit of Guimaras also resides in its marine sanctuaries and islands where tourists can go boating or island-hopping with experienced local guides. The Hinalaran Cove and coral reefs can provide a breathtaking finale to visitors who wish to remember the allure of Guimaras.

"During the time of the oil spill, I was here so many times, always in crisis mode. However, opportunity is the other side of crisis. During that time, Guimaras became a by-word because of the media mileage the province got. It got into the national consciousness of people that there is a beautiful island called Guimaras," Durano said.