Sagay City in Negros Occidental has partnered with two non-profit organizations to enhance initiatives in the protection and management of the Lapus-Lapus Macapagao Local Conservation Area (LCA) in Barangay Bulanon.
With a funding of P2.6 million, the project started on the first week of August this year and will end in December 2026.
City tourism officer Helen Javier Arguelles said on Wednesday, August 20, that tourists are being accommodated by the Lapus-Lapus Floating Cottages Association, the community-based tourism association in the village.
Tourists can visit the area while the project is ongoing except for some dates in November, she added.
The multi-sectoral initiative is funded by the Forest Foundation Philippines (FFP), which provided P1.921 million, and the Jollibee Group Foundation, P500,000.
The city government has allocated a counterpart fund of P189,000.
The project aims to safeguard 299 hectares of mangroves and seagrass beds, reforest five hectares of mangrove areas, and build the capacity of the Lapus-Lapus Floating Cottage Association in conservation management and ecotourism operations while exploring alternative livelihoods for the residents.
“This partnership will not only protect our natural resources but also create and grow opportunities for our people,” Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva said in a statement.
With a thriving marine ecosystem and rich wildlife, the Lapus Lapus-Macapagao LCA is promoted by the city government as an emerging ecotourism destination anchored on sustainability.
The community-based tourism association has received assistance from the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) under its Marketing Enhancement Program, helping increase awareness about the destination.
Aside from the marketing assistance, they also received two three-seater kayaks, t-shirt uniforms, catering materials, and communication equipment from the TPB.*PNA