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Restive Mayon good for tourism, bad for farmers


LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – As the countdown to the New Year begins, Embarcadero de Legazpi teems with tourists. With a towering view deck that offers visitors a spectacular view of a smoldering Mayon Volcano, this commercial establishment built near the Legazpi sea port is only one of the attractions thriving from the volcano's imminent eruption. “Yesterday, I went to the spa and tried different restaurants," said a Japanese tourist. Nearby, a coaster packed with foreigners passes by. A flea market in the heart of the provincial capitol is filled to the brim with shoppers. With the 76,000 tourists that poured into the province this month – most of whom came when Alert Level 3 status was raised last December 14 – it is not surprising that businesses are cashing in on the biggest surge in Albay’s tourism history. “Our hotels, even the smaller ones, are getting fully booked. Flights and buses get higher load factors, but higher tricycle ridership is the one that gives the locals real monetary benefit. Turo-turo, restaurants, malls, bars – even night clubs too – are flourishing," said Albay Governor Joey Salceda. Arnold Borras, a tricycle driver plying the Legazpi-Daraga route, said he has been working more than 20 hours a day in the past two weeks due to the influx of tourists. A tricycle ride costs P30 to P35 while van rentals cost P2,500 to P4,000 per day depending on the distance and duration of the travel. “Full blast na full blast po kami ngayon. Kabi-kabila ang pasahero," says Mang Erning, a van driver. Bicolana Iya Calamian complains that she had a hard time booking a flight to Albay, but made it on time to welcome the New Year with her family in Daraga. Salceda said that the tourism boom created a “spillover effect" on other tourist attractions the provincial government is promoting, including the Misibis Bay resorts and the Tiwi and Manito geothermal plants. The governor, who is also President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s economic adviser, estimates that tourists spend nearly P2.4 million a day in his province. ’Economically disrupted’ But if Mayon’s impending eruption has boosted tourism in the province, it has crippled the livelihood of locals forced to evacuate because they live within the volcano’s danger zone. “The evacuees are the most heavily affected, especially those whose sources of income are lost," Salceda said. Farida Ahmad had to close her souvenir shop built near the famous Casagwa ruins with a gorgeous view of the volcano. Now, she is struggling to find means to feed her six children. Farmers from Barangay Mabingit in Legazpi City had to “surrender" their cows and carabaos to authorities so they could also be transferred to safer ground. Salceda said that millions of pesos worth of crops will be lost because farmers can no longer tend to them. He added that about 4,000 residents permanently relocated from danger zones are the most badly hit. “I had to pull out their sources of income in prioritizing their safety. They had to live elsewhere, but their farms are still there," he said. The governor, however, said he has yet to estimate the amount of revenues lost by the displaced residents. Mayon’s eruption may have its economic benefits, but Salceda stresses that “disaster tourism" is not part of the government’s development program. “The sudden surge of tourists is an unintended consequence of a volcanic eruption. Disaster tourism is neither encouraged, promoted nor sponsored by the provincial government," he stressed, adding that it would be better if tourists go to the province without expecting an eruption. - GMANews.TV

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