THE CEBU provincial government, together with the Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, will help Alcoy town prepare Nug-as Forest Reserve as a community-based ecotourism destination through assistance in drafting policies and rates as well as the improvement of facilities. In a statement, the Cebu government said Alcoy Mayor Michael Angelo S. Sestoso cited such challenges as water supply facilities in the area, lack of accommodation, and standard rates and penalties. Last week, Cebu officials visited Alcoy, a 5th-class municipality with a population of only about 17,000 as of 2015. The Nug-as Forest Reserve is home to endemic plants and bird species, including the Cebu mistletoe, Cebu Cinnamon tree, and the endangered Cebu flowerpecker. The reserve, one of the areas with the largest forest cover in Cebu, will be part of the Big 5 Tourist Destination, a cluster of ecotourism and cultural sites, that will soon be launched by the provincial government. Aside from Alcoy, the Big 5 includes the towns of Alegria, Aloguinsan, Argao, and Boljoon.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR