BANGALAO

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The Official Newsletter of the 1st National Eco-Tourism Festival, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan

February 25, 2013

Sta. Teresita impresses local, foreign cavers

By Benjie S. De Yro

Both local and foreign spelunkers speak the same language when it comes to the various cave offerings of the municipality: impressive.

Ruwen Balmana of the Pangasinan-based Balincaguin Conservancy said “they’re great caves”.

He admitted there are various formations in the caves he failed to identify which has various formations he never saw on other caves in the country.

“There are the scallops and the dome-types caves which are considered rare in other caves,” he said.

He suggested the local government unit should now formulate a management plan so as to control the ...to page 3

SPELUNKERS. Mayor Garcia (in long hair) takes a breather to pose with visiting cavers from California, USA. (L-R) Beatriz Farfan, Daniel Veelik, and Charles Nelson.

Also in photo is SB Member Jovey de Gracia Eduria. (PIA-2)

Media describe opening as parade for nature

By Cedric C. Rumbaoa

SILENT SCREAM. A student of the St. Francis of Academy holds a placard which says it all: preserve or perish. (Photo by Thelma Mercado, LGU)

The message of the opening day parade have approximated the theme of this year’s 1st National Eco-Tourism Festival in this historic town thru symbolic costumes and placards carried by some of the estimated 5,000 participants.

“It was actually a parade for nature,” a student of the Sta. Teresita National High who

requested anonymity said.

Participants to the street dancing showdown preferred to don fishermen’s traditional wear plus equipment and gear for effects.

The media who arrived yesterday for their initial report on the activity claimed the cacophony of colors set the right mood for the activity while it showed a distinct unity of all Sta. Teresita residents.

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EDITORIAL Political Will

T

ake it from the experts: the caves of Sta. Teresita are beautiful and impressive.

But residents and the local government unit should not take a holiday just as yet when the caves are still on their introductory stage.

Caves were formed eons of years ago and can be destroyed or ‘killed’ in just a matter of years.

Why, there’s life inside the caves and just like the rest of creation, they can be confined to oblivion, too, if and when they are abused.

Foreigners and locals who are in town to savor the adventure the municipality promises for six days now caution the residents that such caves should now be protected for various reasons.

That is exactly what the LGU is now doing.

However, it will take time. Recently, the Sangguniang Bayan filed a resolution to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan asking the legislative body of the province to declare the Bangalao Lake and the caves as protected areas.

The Provincial Board said it has to review other existing local and national laws before acting on the resolution.

Yet, with or without the approved resolution from the SP, Mayor Lolita C. Garcia is expected to stand firm on her ground of protecting and conserving her town’s resources while offering it to the rest of the world.

If and when that happens, spelunkers like David and Vetty Beelik, Charles Nelson and the local boys and the rest of Sta. Teresita would forever be grateful to the lady mayor.

She would be ‘political will’ personified. (PIA-2)

rial B Edito

oard

Thelma M. Mercado Editor-In-Chief

Visiting Associate Editor Benjie S. De Yro, PIA-2 Managing Editor James Mike O. Caday Graphic and Design Alvin Delos Santos, PIA-2 Consultants Mayor Lolita C. Garcia Dir. Purita S. Licas, PIA-2

Bangalau is the official newsletter of the 1st National Ecotourism Festival with editorial office at the Mayor’s Office Sta. Teresita Municipal Hall, Sta. Teresita, Cagayan For comments and suggestion pls. contact number 0927-7487799, email adress thelma_ mercado@yahoo.com

Pass the mic, please...

By James Mike O. Caday

The weeklong celebration of the 1st National Ecotourism Festival hosted by the Municipality of Sta. Teresita promises to be packed with highly- energized entertainment. Educational tours and Base camp activities started February 25 today until March 2 2013. That would include the great climb to Mt. Cagwa this morning.

Two weeks before the event tourist have come and go to visit the different potential destinations which this historic municipality offers to the uninitiated.

During the grand opening, nature lovers, conservationists and environmentalists came and joined the opening salvo of the Festival. The parade and spectacular street dance presentations previewed by the different agencies and officials in the province and in the region added colour and buoyed the spirit of unity and camaraderie among the participants. oOo Right after the parade, I had a chance to talked to some cavers who already have a life time of caving experience in other parts of the world and elsewhere. I’m sharing with you impressions they provided Bangalao.

The place is amazing. I had already experienced caving at Bangalao and visited other spots. I just hope that this National Ecotourism Festival will served as a way to invite tourists to visit our province especially our wonderful spots here in Sta. Teresita. –Jeny Baquiran, Cagayan tourism officer oOo The tourist spots are impressive! It is more than we expected to see before leaving for California. Theresians are hospitable and jolly.- Daniel and Betty, USA oOo We are amazed with the colourful presentation given by the students! Thanks also for the warm welcome of the Local Government Unit- Narciso Corpus, Baggao, Cagayan oOo The spot that you have here in Sta. Teresita is really one of a kind. Truly the Municipality is blessed to have those spots.- Pio oOo Before, I can say that Sta. Teresita is a sleeping tourism gem, not being recognized by many people. I just hope that this festival will serve as a guiding light to our municipality to shine and be recognized by people not only in the province but in the whole word.

We have a lot of natural treasures to be proud of and potential world class tourist spots to explore and discover.

Finally, we have probably the most hospitable people in this part of the world who can give you a warm welcome during your stay. We’ll be back on March 2 for the final edition of this bulletin.

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Playground of the gods?

By Benjie S. De Yro

W

hy not give Sta. Teresita the tourism branding “playground of the gods?

With its first offering as the venue of the 1st National Eco-Tourism Festival, the town has landed national prominence. For the uninitiated, Sta. Teresita is now a confirmed land of caves and a lake as evidenced by the various caves already identified even before the Sierra Madre Outdoor Club came to conduct an assessment.

More are expected to be explored in the days ahead In Greek mythology, gods and goddesses have been known to play and idle their time along rivers and stream, the thick forest, on top of mountains, by the caves and among serene lakes and other areas nurtured by nature.

Nature have always been the playground of the gods.

SERENITY. The man in photo is maybe alone but definitely not lonely because at the end of the day he’ll bring fresh catch from the Bangalau Lake, the toast of Sta. Teresita’s ecotourism OTOP. (Photo by Thelma Mercado, LGU)

Sta. Teresita impresses ...from page 1 area and a moratorium should be declared to protect them.

“The caves are relatively virgin”, he added.

American husband and wife team cavers David and Betty Veelik of California said Mayor Lolita Garcia is doing a good job on the environment.

The couple arrived Sunday with Charlie and proceeded immediately to two of the caves with local guides whom they describe as “equally good.”

Last year, the two explored the Alab and other caves

Sunset at Bangalau Lake It is the same bounties of nature Sta. Teresita, one of the fastest growing municipality in Northern Cagayan, has been endowed with.

A visit to Bangalao Lake brings forth images of gods and goddesses as they go about their observance of mortals like us. Its caves mystify us as one imagines the lesser gods and goddesses on close guards if only to protect those beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, virginal as they are.

From afar, the individual rock formations with old growth forests and other lust vegetations around them capture the images of a possible clash of the Titans, the rock formations being bets on slings.

Providing tourism branding for the local government units has always been fascinating and at times, challenging, if not, nerve cracking.

The secret is to bring forth the identity of a town and with some words to play with, come up with brands.

Personally, as a veteran writer, I suggest the town adapt the branding before others do. Afterall, I haven’t visited the Intellectual Property Rights Office. And even if I do….

(PIA-2) in Baggao town and were likewise been to Alaminos as spelunkers.

They argued that while caves are to be shown to people, it should likewise be protected as the caves can be a source of income for the locals.

Earlier, Ancis Battung and Nida Dela Cruz with other members of the Sierra Madre Outdoor Club (SMOC) and local guides explored the caving system of Sta. Teresita along with Bangalao Lake to documents it flora and fauna. (with Alvin delos Santos)

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‘I was jittery’, Mayor Garcia admits to festival crowd

By Thelma M. Mercado Sta. Teresita Mayor Lolita Garcia has admitted the 1st National Ecotourism Festival nearly didn’t push through.

Speaking before a big crowd at the makeshift stage of the Base Camp in Barangay Luga, Mayor Garcia said there was a time during the last six months of preparation for the big day, that she nearly quitted because of pressures from all over.

However, she said that with the full cooperation of all stakeholders, whom she individually expressed appreciation to, she has confined to herself that the show must go on.

“And it did. Your unstinted support and those of the other stakeholders have become our strength to continue on with what we started. I believe, there’s no turning back now,” Garcia said.

An ecstatic lady Mayor Garcia becomes emotional as she bears her heart out during the opening program of the festival. (PIA-2)

DOT mom declares historic town as Penaeus vannamae capital amidst festival frenzy

By Bangalau Reportorial Team

Dir. Blessida Diwa exaults the opening program crowd and shares the enthusiasm shown by the people of Sta. Teresita. (photo by Alvin C. delos Santos, PIA-2)

Start calling Sta. Teresita the Penaeus vannamae capital of Northern Philippines.

This after the Department of Tourism region 2 Director Blessida Diwa declared it as such during the opening program of the six-day 1st National Ecotourism Festival at Base Camp, Barangay Luga.

Diwa in a speech before some more than two thousand people said she appreciated the initiative of the Local Chief Executive Mayor Lolita Garcia who finally plucked her town from ignonymity.

Established June 23, 1963, Sta. Teresita is considered the youngest and smallest municipality in Cagayan province.

Diwa cited the 72 hectares vannamae farms of DATAJ in Barangay Caniugan which according to her can be the biggest area in Northern Luzon today.

The farm which was established some three years ago has successfully recorded a daily harvest of 3.4 tons per day since November last year. Earlier, reports said Mayor Garcia has eyed the farm as a possible familiarization tour area among students.