Suyac Island Mangrove Eco-Park, located within the Sagay Marine Reserve, in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, is set to receive the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community-Based Tourism Award in Johor, Malaysia, on Jan. 20.
The award recognizes the Suyac Island Eco-Tourist Attendants Association (SIETAAS) for its “exemplary standard set in compliance with the Community-Based Tourism Standard”, a press release from Sagay City said Tuesday.
Their exceptional efforts in eco-tourism initiatives have garnered this recognition, it said.
The Department of Tourism announced the award on Dec. 16 through a letter, designating SIETAAS and the Sagay City government as part of the Philippine delegation attending the ceremony.
Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. expressed his gratitude for this significant achievement and acknowledged the invaluable support of the Department of Tourism Region VI, the press release said.
He said the award serves as a testament to how community-based tourism has not only uplifted the lives of the Suyac islanders but also effectively contributed to environmental preservation.
“We embarked on a challenging path towards sustainability, and now we reap the rewards – not only this prestigious award but also the profound positive impact on our precious mangrove forests and community,” Vice Mayor Leo Rafael M. Cueva said.
Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Helen Cutillar, who has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for these initiatives since 2012, emphasized that this international recognition inspires the people of Suyac to strive for even greater accomplishments.
She said pursuing sustainable tourism development has the power to transform the community into an empowered, resilient, and environmentally-conscious society.
Tourism is an invasive industry but if practiced sustainably, it has the potential “to enrich, protect, and build communities”, she said.
Chen Mencias of Bluewaters Consultancy served as the city’s sustainable tourism development planner when the project commenced in 2012.
The project underwent a rigorous community development process within the framework of sustainable tourism development.
The Sagay LGU also pays tribute to the visionary leadership in marine conservation of the late Governor Alfredo G. Maranon Jr., who established a 32,000-hectare marine protected area during the 1970s which serves as the foundation for strong ecotourism, the press release said.*