By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Corresponden
MISAMIS Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano yesterday stood firm in his decision to stop eco-tourism activities in some parts of the province even as he appealed to tourists to come back when the affected areas have already been declared safe again.
“We will not let any of our tourists become a human shield,” said Emano.
He warned the public against visiting tourism sites in places considered unsafe, saying he feared that they could get “trapped.”
Emano said the capitol cannot be held responsible for not warning people about these places.
Emano’s move and pronouncements did not sit well with some players in the local tourism industry.
Tito Mora, tour operator of Swift Travel and Tours, said the travel advisory from Emano has had debilitating effects on their operations.
“I can only speak for us… a group tour of 45 persons cancelled for the end of the month,” said Mora.
Mora said other tour operators have also expressed their concern over Emano’s travel advisory, labeled by some of them as a “weird” and “makadaot sa atong image.”
The capitol earlier ordered all mountain climbing activities stopped particularly at Mt. Sumagaya, Mt. Lumot and Mt. Balatukan, including the Cebu Pacific Flight 387 Shrine in Claveria town even as it temporarily barred tourists from going to waterfalls and other eco-tourism destinations in Claveria, Gingoog, and other eastern areas of the province.
In a new statement yesterday, Emano warned the public again about ongoing military operations in the province’s 1st District where a soldier was killed following a fierce armed encounter between government and rebel forces in Sugbongcogon town.
He said tourists should “refrain from visiting war-affected areas in the province until authorities declare it already safe.”
The capitol, he said, would wait for notices from the National Police and the Armed Forces.
“But as of this time, I would personally appeal to our dear tourists to stop trekking our mountains until further notice,” Emano said.
He said he was disturbed over the renewed hostilities in Misamis Oriental, pointing out that the capitol has been working hard to give the province’s tourism industry a boost.
But Emano expressed optimism, saying the move to bar people from going to dangerous places in the province is just a temporary measure.
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