ILOILO CITY, April 23 (PNA) – The Department of Tourism (DOT) will look into the rehabilitation of the century-old lighthouse in the province of Guimaras and have it converted into a viewing deck for tourists.
The Guisi Light House located in Sitio, Guisi, Barangay Dolores in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras was built in 1896 and is now being promoted by the provincial government for heritage tourism.
However, what remains are only its ruins and some of its parts are allegedly in possession of some prominent families in the province.
DOT Secretary Ace Durano, who personally visited the place over the weekend, said they are not bent on restoring the structure because a new lighthouse has been constructed.
“Our objective is not to operationalize it as a lighthouse. Instead, we want it as a functional view deck,” he said.
Durano said DOT will just coordinate with the local government unit of Nueva Valencia so that “the original look and the original ambiance” will not be lost once the rehabilitation starts.
“We plan to launch it this year,” he said.
Over the weekend, Durano together with Undersecretary for Planning and Promotions Eduardo Jarque Jr launched the Guisi Discovery Quest, which highlighted the sitio’s potential for adventure tourism.
The lighthouse is just one of the attractions. The others are the marine sanctuaries, Guisi beaches, Guisi coral reefs, Hinalaran Cove, Panluron Falls, wilderness trail, island hopping, boating, snorkeling and fishing. (PNA)
LAP/AJP/PGLena/vlo
WARNING!!! If you are reading this from another blog, it is possible that this has been copied without my permission. BYAHILO: Ito ang Trip Ko!