Loboc: Where the River is Emerald

and the Children Sing like Angels

By: I. Julio Cesar L. Benitez

Loboc Eco-tourism Program is one of the ten winners in the 2013 Galing Pook Award. This document was
commissioned by the Galing Pook Foundation through the Center for Community Journalism and Development
(CCJD).
 Loboc: Where the River is Emerald and the Children Sing like Angels
By: I. Julio Cesar L. Benitez

It used to be just a simple river where children swam, women washed the fa il ’s lothes a d e
fished. The river is about 12 meters wide and four meters deep and runs through three towns. From the
upstream boundary of Sevilla town, it passes through Loboc and empties on to Bohol Sea fronting the
next town of Loay; a typical river of a typical countryside.

That was some years back.

Now, Loboc River is far from typical. Tourists come in droves to experience cruising 2.85 kilometers of its
long emerald streams by day or the golden reflection of riverbank lights by night. Some international
tourists who experienced the river cruise compared it to the Rhine river cruise in Paris and the canals
tour in Amsterdam.

The tour of the river is aboard a floating restaurant that serves lunch and dinner in buffet. It starts at the
124-meter long docking port of tourism complex,
designed like a series of verandas by the river
bank. The double-bodied flat boat then passes
under the hanging garden, a bridge linking the
docking port to the other side of the river and
designed as a garden walk. Then softly, it glides
through the gentle waters giving the tourist a
view of the lifestyles of the locals living nearby –
rustic nipa huts and bungalow houses along
endless greeneries of shrubs, gardens and farms.
The Floating Restaurants are privately operated by government-
regulated.
A few minutes into the cruise, the tourist is
su p ised a ui k stop i a alsa . A balsa is a
floating stage anchored on one side of the river.
Here villagers—children, teen-agers, and adult
men and women—give a performance of songs
and dances accompanied by the village rondalla,
an ensemble of musicians playing strings and
wind instruments The tourist can come aboard
the balsa and may dance with the locals.
Souvenir crafts and agricultural produce, like
pure honey, fruits and delicacies, are for sale in Balsa: A glimpse of the local culture.
the balsa. And then the cruise continues.

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Aboard the cruising boat , a singer entertains with live music
as the passengers take their lunch or dinner. The choices in
the long dining table include Filipino dishes like pancit (stir
fried noodles) inihaw na isda (grilled fish), pork bar-b-queue,
pinakbet (mixed vegetables), fried chicken and generous
samplers of native desserts. These come with a choice of iced
tea, juice or soft drinks. After the meal, the tourist is
welcomed to sing on stage or dance to the music.
Songs, Food and Sights aboard the river cruise.
The e d of the i e , he e the oat akes a u-turn, is a
modest waterfall called Busay Falls. Currently it is a natural one-and-a-half meters falls where the river
takes in water from various tributaries. The local government plans to improve on this spot to create a
grander waterfall sight.

At night, the river cruise turns romantic with over 450 lampposts and floodlights lighting the river bank
from the docking port and all the way up to the Busay Falls. They cast shimmering splendour on the
river. Governor Huang Zhiquan of the Jiangxi Province of China gave a grant of P13.5 million to light the
river banks as part of the Sisterhood Agreement between China and the Province of Bohol.

As the river cruise ends at the docking port where it started, the tourist appreciates more the sight of
the hanging garden, seemingly like a rainbow arching from one end of the river bank to the other side.
Then the sight of the historic Loboc church comes to view. It used to be a long rectangular structure of
coral stones and red bricks with maroon roof and a tall church bell tower. Now, the sight is that of a
ruins from the magnitude 7.2 earthquake the rocked the province on October 15, 2013.

Out of the Ruins: Resiliency of Spirit

Upo the sight of the shattered church structure, after the earthquake, residents just broke down in
tea s, El e T. Va uez, , the to ’s tou is offi e , said. He added that residents could not fathom
how their place of worship and that of their parents and the grandparents before them could end up in
ruins.

The damage to the town was not limited to the church building, huts of one resort along the river bank
were also destroyed and so was the viewing deck of one hotel, which sank down by one meter, as the
ground split. The veranda-like docking area of the river cruise tilted as if falling down to the river. There
are roads that cracked and some houses too. Two weeks after the earthquake, the national highway
leading to Loboc were not yet passable, a passenger vehicles had to take a longer detour.

2
 Ruins of the Loboc Church after the earthquake of 2013

The small stall of Dominador Aguilar, 51, was totally damaged as the debris of the old church came
crashing down upon it. This former OFW invested on selling souvenir shirts and producing tarsier-
inspired crafts for the past ten years. All his products were damaged and irreparable. Aguilar said:

I do ot k o if I can start all over again. I do not know how. Perhaps I will go to Manila and
find work there and later look for job oversees as I have done before. Even if it broke my heart, I
told my eldest son Gerry that he may have to stop from schooling this coming semester. He is
already on his second year in the college of engineering. I cannot help it.

All sa i gs e e e-invested into the new stocks of shirts and new tarsier crafts. I had 1,600
shirts and about 10,000 tarsier crafts. I re-invested in anticipation of the coming peak season
during the last quarter of the year. My wife, who produced the tarsier stuff toys, worked
overnight and just to put the product in the market on
time.

I ha e uilt fa il a ou d the g o th of the tou is i

my town. After Gerry was born, we did not have other
children until the business of selling souvenir items was
established. Ten years ago, the business picked-up. Only
then did we have our second child Siera. She is now nine.
Business was good then, so we had our third, Dan Bernard,
8. Three years ago, business was really booming and so
came our youngest child, Arlene, 2.
Starting Over Again. “I have built my family
around the growth of tourism in my town, said
For a week after the earthquake, the droves of tourist stopped Dominador Aguillar.
coming to Loboc. The once busy town was silent and gloomy.

3
 I a ot sho that I a oke ; I a ot ,
said Helen Alaba, feisty first-termer mayor of
Loboc. While the town was reconstructing from
the earthquake, she decide to re-open the Loboc
river cruise. She asked the world-famous Loboc
Child e ’s Choir to sing and invited national
media to cover the re-opening of the cruise. She
was all smile and hopeful as TV reporters
interviewed her during the event. The river was
again alive.

The a o ’s atio al a paig to p o ote he

Indomitable Spirit. Loboc Mayor Helen Alaba dances for the camera
town after the quake was relentless. Even if it was
to promote Loboc Tourism again a month after the earthquake.
not yet the feast of the Lady of Guadalupe, the
second patron-saint of the town, she organized a sampler of the festival dance called kuradang. This is a
thanksgiving practice where residents danced to the tune of the marching band in front of the image of
Virgin Mary as a way of thanking her for the blessings bestowed on the lives of people. With the camera
of one national TV station rolling, the mayor danced the kuradang in front of the ruins of the Loboc
Church along with the workers of the municipal government.

Tou is is the sou e of i o e of the to a d I ha e to i g it a k as soo as possi le, Alaba said.

The mayor added, the people should ise a d da e ith e to e uild this to agai .

The earthquake was an eye opener for many sceptics of the tourism industry. With the devastation, the
tou is as the eside ts’ o l hope fo speed e o e . As a ti ulated the to ’s tourism
consultant, Without tou is , ho else ould this to possi l ise agai ?

The isi g spi it is sha ed Aguilla ’s ife. “eei g that he hus a d as dep essed o e the losses of
thei sou e i shop, the ife halle ged hi : Bakit, tayo lang ba a g asakta ? “u uka ati uli.
(Why, are we the only ones hurt? Let us rise again.)

Eco-tourism: a Way to Job Generation and Increasing Local Revenues

For the Municipal Government of Loboc, there is no other way but to refuel and reconstruct the eco-
tourism industry of the municipality out from the dusts and debris of the magnitude 8 earthquake. The
to ’s i o e a d de elop e t is depe de t o it.

Right before the quake, the town’s total e e ues f o tou is as P . illio the e d of .
It was the major contributor to the total income of the municipality at 55% and recorded under income
from economic enterprise. Income from tourism was higher than the municipal IRA of P34.92 million
during the same year.

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The major income earner for tourism is the Loboc River Cruise and Tourism complex. Charging P100 per
tourist for maintenance, safety and security, the LGU collected a total of P44 million in 2012. The other
income-earner is the operation of the Zip Line of its Eco-Adventure Park that earned P10 million during
the same period. The municipal government also has a share in the fees collected at the Tarsier Park. In
addition to this, income from business permits and share in the Real Property Tax grew as the tourism
industry soared.

Way back in 2004, at the onset of the eco-tourism development of the town, the total income of the
town, including the IRA, was only P23.08 million. They municipal government was then dependent on
the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the national government. By 2010, the municipality was no
longer IRA dependent as, for the first time in the history of the town, local income was greater than the
IRA. In 2012 the local income grew to P100.44 million. Of this amount, P56.9 million came from the
income from economic enterprise, of which tourism contributed P54.8 million. Five times more than
what the municipality was earning in 2004 and al ost t i e igge tha the LGU’s IRA. The p opelle
of growth was eco-tou is , said L M. Basa es, , u i ipal t easu e .

60,000,000

50,000,000

40,000,000

30,000,000

20,000,000

10,000,000

0
2004 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

General Fund Special Education Fund Economic Enterprise IRA Grants and Donations

Graph 1:
Distribution of Income
Municipality of Loboc
2004 to 2012
Source: Office of the Municipal Treasurer

Not only did the eco-tourism program bring income to the municipality it also generated local
employment. In the estimate of the Loboc Tourism Office, around 1,300 individuals are directly earning,
if not gainfully employed, from the local tourism.

5
 Leadership Vision. Loboc Hanging Garden and the River Cruise Docking Port are part of the tourism infrastructure
envisioned and materialized by the local government unit.

Ruben Fernandez, 31, worked as a lifeguard and is one of the 102 casual employees of the Tourism
Complex. He had been working for four years and was earning P265 per day. With his regular income,
he was able to buy a motorcycle and supported his children to school. He is thankful for his job saying,
Ako lang ang inaasahan sa pamilya kasi ang byenan ko hindi na makalakad dahil sa kapansanan, (M
family depends on me as my father-in-law could no longer work because of a disability).

The Tourism Complex employed workers on a night and day shifts. Jobs are generated mainly by the
operations of the tourism complex, the Loboc River Cruise and the Loboc Adventure Park. Workers are
professionally recruited, passi g th ough a s ee i g p o ess e o d the i flue e of the padrino
syste of local politics. This way, only qualified and competent workers were hired.

The a o a d politi ia s ef ai ed f o i flue i g this p o ess, said Tourism Officer Varquez. He

explained that the former mayor himself wanted only the most qualified personnel to do the job in the
tourism complex.

Whoe e as a ked fi st i the hiring process by the screening committee, it was him or her that the
a o ulti atel hi ed, Varquez said. The professional hiring and firing process is among the
underlying factors how the LGU was able to keep a well-maintained and well-managed tourism complex
and tour sites.

The government is not the only generator of employment. The private sector also contributes bulk of
the number of employment generated. (Please refer to Table 1.)

Felly Castro, 54, started working as a cashier/bookkeeper in 2005 for the Long River Cruise and Floating
Restaurant, a company that operates five floating restaurants. She holds a degree in commerce and

6
accounting. She is paid P300 per day as a cashier and is given additional P1,500 per month for every
accounting book that she maintains. On top of her salary, she gets free meals, free transportation going
to the workplace and small incentives during the town fiesta and the Christmas bonus. These earnings
are a far cry from the P50 per day that she was paid in her former job in Tagbilaran City.

Cast o said: With job, I was able to successfully send my three children to college. The eldest
daughter is now an accountant like me, the second is a teacher and the youngest son is a seaman.
Tou is ought de elop e t to fa il .

With a regular job, Castro gained a respected stature in the community that she was elected as a
councillor of barangay Kamyaan (village). She is one of the 121 individuals employed by the four
companies of floating restaurants doing river cruise in Loboc.

The eco-tourism development in Loboc is not only a program, but speaks of an entire tourism industry.
It has 17 various tourism-related sub-sectors. This include the sub-sector of the floating restaurants, on-
board live entertainers, community performing groups, engineering, transport, food producers,
governance, and others. (The complete list is drawn up in Table 1.)

As it is, Loboc is a showcase of how an LGU can raise revenues from tourism and at the same time
generate employment for its constituents.

How the Idea Started

Like many areas in the country, the province of Bohol and the municipality of Loboc grapple with the
halle ge of po e t due to lo i o e a d u de p odu ti it . Most of Lo o ’s eside ts a e
dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. The farming practices, co e i g the to ’s la d a ea of
8,541 hectares that is spread in 28 barangays, remained largely traditional and thus the household
income of most households is classified as subsistence. As local chief executive, the former mayor, Leon
Calipusan, took on this challenge. Calipusan is the brother of Allaba, the current mayor.

As a leade of this to , he pe so all took it as his espo si ilit to fi d a d a t o a solutio to this

century-old p o le of po e t , Teodosia S. Bernaldez, the tourism consultant said.

Bernaldez, who was awarded by the national government with Hero and Ating Public Servant Award
for her work in the development of Loboc eco-tou is added: The a o as dis a ed o e the poo
quality of services that the local government was rendering. At that kind of service, no qualitative
change can possibly happen in the lives of the people in terms of overcoming poverty. The mayor knew
that he needed to raise the local resources of the LGU in order to be able to govern and deliver services
that a e ea i gful to the eside ts.

During a development planning session, the planners looked into the resources that the town of Loboc
has. They saw tourism opportunities on three resources: the Loboc River, the Tarsier and the Loboc

7
Children’s Choi . At that ti e, the i e a d the s allest o ke as egi i g to att a t lo al a d
international tourists. The monkey was an international curiosity while the river cruise was an activity
that the visitors wanted to try after they toured the Chocolate Hills, the other famous spot of the
p o i e. The to ’s hoi , o the othe ha d, gai ed i te atio al ad i atio he the o i a
international contest. Many people wanted to hear the angelic voices of the children. However these
three resources were not maximized in a way that they were not harnessed to have impact on the local
economy.

Table 1:
Estimated Employment Generated by the Loboc Eco-tourism
As of December 2012
Source: Estimates by Municipal Tourism Office
Estimated Number of
Tourism Sectors Role

Employed Persons in Loboc


1. Floating Restaurant ( units) Entertainment 121


Food
2. On-board Entertainers 30 individuals

Live Entertainment
3. Tour Agencies (3 establishmets) 6 individuals

Tour services
4. Community Performing group 200 +

entertainment
5. Youth Performing Groups 500

entertainment
6. Boat Maintenance 10 +

Boat maintenance
7. Souvenirs 50 +

Provision of souvenir items
8. Shirts 50 +

Provision of souvenir items
9. Tarsier Park 40 +

entertainment


10. Government/tourism Office Regulation 102


Services


Planning


Implementation
11. Engineering Department Infrastructure and

 Water services
Maintenance 34
12. Municipal Water Works
13. Food Producers (native)  Food 20 families
14. Food Producers (veggies, live  Food 0 (tagbilaran ang source)

 transport
stock)
15. Transport
a. Van 15 individual
b. Habal-habal 92 individuals

 accommodation
c. PUJ 75 individuals
16. Lodge and Accommodations (7 20 individuals

 food
establishments)
17. Land-based Restaurant (2 15 individuals
establishmets)
Total Employment Generated 1,380 ++

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Be aldez said, In that analysis of economic potentials, the Mayor saw the needed key intervention:
development of these resources to world class tourism attraction.

Thus, to enhance the tourism potential of the Loboc River Cruise, an air-conditioned waiting lounge and
a docking port, designed like a series of romantic verandas, were conceptualized and materialized. For
the potential of the tarsier, a conservation park was Box 1:
esta lished. Fo the hoi , a hild e ’s pala e, he e the ould 7 Essential LGU Tourism
perform for the public, was constructed. In addition several Management Mechanism
supporting infrastructures and programs were installed. 1. Tourism Office
2. Guest Relations
Co i ed of the sou d ess a d ia ilit of the idea, the a. Complaint Desk
mayor decided to secure bank loans to finance the tourism b. Guest Book
c. Tourism Information Booth
de elop e t, Be aldez said. The a o pursued this plan
3. Tourist Security, Safety and Welfare
even amid the scepticism and criticism of others. The World
a. Traffic Aide
Bank granted us P14 million loans. And the mayor immediately
b. Tourist Police
set forth to implement the plan. c. First Aide and Medic
d. Rescue Boat
I t o- ea s’ ti e, e sa to i ease i the tou ist a i als e. Water Search and Rescue Team
and with it the income of the municipality soared high more f. Coast Guard
than the amount invested, Bernaldez said. 4. Housekeeping
a. Moring Care Duties
b. After care Duties
5. Environment and Sanitation Services
a. River Watch
The Eco- Tourism Complex and Management
b. Inspection Team
c. Clean Comfort Rooms
The Loboc Eco-Tourism Complex is both a physical space and a 6. Stakeholders’ Ma age e t
set of tourism-related programs and mechanisms that the LGU a. Month Dialogues with Boat
established and operated. It functioned as a hub of tourism Operators
operations of the municipality. b. Monthly Briefing of Employees
c. Related Training
Physically, the Complex is located in the area adjacent to the 7. Revenue Generation
river cruise docking port. It is like a huge open space town a. Ticket Boot Booth
b. Daily Accounting
square that houses tourism office, the tourist lounge, the
c. Tickets
Child e ’s Pala e, sou e i shops a d a utte fl eedi g
center.

The tou ists’ lou ge is a ai -conditioned hall with a seating capacity of 70 visitors at a time. It has free
Wi-Fi connection and TV viewing. The Tourism Office is located in one corner of the lounge that also
doubles as information and assistance desk for tourists. The tourists may wait for their boat ride in the
lounge.

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The Children’s Palace is a one storey building that
serves as a training center and at the same time a
performance hall for the Loboc Youth
Ambassadors and the Lo o Child e ’s Choi every
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tourists who
o e to Lo o to hea the hild e ’s hoi is gi e
a free concert on these days.

The souvenir shops are situated around the

complex. They sell souvenir t-shirts, tarsier-
inspired products, local delicacies. They also sell
snacks and other tourist convenience items like
bottled mineral water, brim hats and the likes.
They are operated by private businesses. The Tourist Lounge is fully air-conditioned and manned by trained
and courteous tourism personnel.

The butterfly breeding station is an additional attraction in the complex. It is a small station where
visitors can witness the various stages in the emergence of butterflies.

The complex provides a well-maintained comfort rooms and parking lots. In addition, the lawn and
surroundings of the complex is landscaped with small gardens that is fully maintained and kept clean.

First-aid medical team is deployed in the complex, composed of a nurse and trained first-aiders.

The Tou is o ple is desig ed ith total usto e satisfa tio i i d, said Bernaldez. This means
that the tourism complex is operated in a way that it is able to meet needs of local and foreign tourists.

To meet the needs of the tourists, seven essential tourism management mechanisms were put in place.
These are listed in Box 1.

Essential to managing a tourism program is the establishment of the locus of management. In Loboc,
this is the role that the Tourism Office plays. The office manages the other six management
mechanisms.

The Loboc Eco-tourism Program also prioritized two customer care elements: 1) guest relations and 2)
security, safety and welfare.

Guest relations mechanisms include the setting of complaint desks that promptly responds to customer
complaints. Visitors are also requested to sign the guest book for monitoring and security purposes.
Finally and information desks is set-up to answer queries from visitors.

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For the security, safety and welfare of the tourist, the tourism office has deployed tourist police,
coastguard, traffic aide and first aid and medic teams. All are employed by the LGU. Rescue boats are
also provided. Water search and rescue team was also trained.
The next two essential management concerns identified and implemented by Loboc LGU are: 1)
Housekeeping and Environment Sanitation and Services. For Housekeeping, all tourism employees are
required to do morning care and after care duties. These include cleaning up of the work stations and
surroundings, maintenance of the landscapes and gardens, maintenance of the equipments and the
likes. Environment and Sanitation Services, on the other hand, includes the deployment of a River Watch
Team that cleans the entire river stretch of garbage and obstructions. An inspection team is also part of
the mechanism where the sanitation and cleanliness of the floating boats and the food they serve are
inspected and monitored. Finally, the LGU ensured that clean comfort rooms are provided. At the Loboc
Adventure Park, the comfort rooms are air-conditioned.

The tou is a age e t also e su es that the e is a e ha is fo stakeholde s’ management. Here,

regular dialogue with the boat operators, tour and transport groups are conducted to discuss policies.
During the aftermath of the earthquake disaster in October, this mechanism was used in order to secure
the cooperation of the boat operators on how to re-start the river cruise operations. Similarly, tourism
employees are given regular trainings and regularly briefed on maintenance and customer care
concerns.

Finally, mechanism for revenue generation is put in place. Ticketing system is adopted to monitor
tourism arrivals and income generated. Ticket booths are strategically placed in all tour sites and are
a ed LGU e plo ees. The T easu e ’s Offi e o ito s a d does dail a ou ti g of e e ues.

As a tou ope ato , I feel I a i luded i the i ple e tatio of the de elop e t pla of the
u i ipalit , said Lou des “ulta , , o e of the fou Lo o oat uise ope ato s. “he had ee
operating the Village Floating Resto and Cruises for the past six years.

Sultan used to be critical of the tourism

development plan of the LGU because she
thought that the government was trying to
unduly control the tourism in the area. However,
upon the completion of the docking port and the
operations of the tourism complex, Sultan saw
how the program was beneficial for the business
se to . I like the esta lish e t of the do ki g
a ea, the tou is offi e a d the aiti g lou ge,
she said, explaining that these infrastructures
elevated the quality of tour destination that
Loboc town is offering to visitors.

Good Business Environment. Lourdes Sultan appreciates the

regular dialogues between the LGU and the local business
community.
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 I also app e iate the egula dialogues ith the LGU a d the pa ti ipato a e that guideli es a e
afted a d adopted, “ulta said. “he added that the dialogue e ha is e a les the e ha ge of
expertise between and among the private sectors and the government.

The i e uise estau a ts a e defi itel ea i g, ut I a a a e that it ould ea o e, “ulta said.

Her family relies on this business as their main source of income. Through the river cruise business she
was able to send her son to the law school and her daughter to study international hospitality
management in culinary arts.

With the consultative and participatory manner by which the LGU had been implementing the tourism
program, we are able to develop the tou is pote tials of Lo o , “ulta said.

The First Element: Developing the Tourism Potentials

In the experience of the LOBOC LGU, the first element needed for the development of eco-tourism is the
p ese e of pote tial atu al tou ists’ spots. For the town of Loboc, there were two existing tourism
potentials: the river cruise and the smallest monkey in the world, the tarsier. What the LGU did was to
develop the existing tourist spots a respectable tourist attraction that offers either entertainment,
something different, something adventurous or something relaxing.

The previous sections described how the LGU developed the potentials of the Loboc River Cruise. The
other learning point is how the LGU enhanced the potentials of the Tarsier viewing as a tourist
attraction.

The tarsier is a world-curiosity. In Loboc, the

start of Tarsier Viewing as a tour activity was
spontaneous. Nerea T. Saranillo, 44, Co-owner
of Bohol Tarsier Permittee Corp and current
president of the corporation retold how it all
started. She said:

It was 1995. One day, when my family was

visiting our farm, I chanced upon four tarsiers;
two females and two males. I brought them
home and cared for them as pets. I gave them
a es. My fa ourite is Nori . “he’s al ost like
daughter.
Capitalizing on the Tarsier. Nerea T. Saranillo domesticated a set
of tarsier that eventually bred in captivity and became a tour
At first I did ot k o ho to are for them. So
attraction.

12
 I did research. Other than being nocturnal, I found out that they feed on crickets. Their life span
is from 15 to 25 years. They can be tamed. Norin, for one, is now accustomed to having visitors. I
used to cradle her.

The first ti e I saw baby Tarsiers, I was so thrilled. Norin gave birth in captivity. The babies
were so tiny. After a day, though, the babies were gone. I really wondered what happened. Then
I found out that the male tarsiers are cannibals. They feed on their babies!

“o the second time that Norin was pregnant, we separated her from the males during the
birthing process. The babies survived. You know, the female tarsier has four mammary glands.
They carry the baby in their womb for six months.

No , e ha e as a y as 28 tarsiers bred in captivity.

Vie i g the tarsier as a tour a ti ity just a e i aturally. Tourist a e to k o of the fa t

that we have tarsiers in our garden through the tour guides. Later, tourist kept on coming to our
garden in the village of Sawang. We placed a donation box at the exit and thus we started
earning. On good days, we get as much as P1,000 a day.

The number of families who later got to have tarsiers in their backyard grew to 12 families. To
consolidate the tarsier viewing in one location and at the same time give the tarsiers a better living
condition, the LGU through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) established a
protected sanctuary. The sanctuary is a ten-hectare lot of bushes and trees, being developed as a mini
forest within the town of Loboc. All the 12 families with tarsier pets were required by DENR to bring the
tarsiers in the sanctuary.

The tarsier pet owners were then organized into the Bohol Tarsier Permittee Corporation to own and
manage the Tarsier Sanctuary Park. The corporation pays for the lot rental and invested in the
development of the park to cater to tourists.

The park now has viewing decks and terrains leading the visitor around the tarsier habitat. On the
ground, the corporation established souvenir shops and snack bars. Visitors to the park range from 500
to 1,600 visitors per day. Entrance fee is pegged at P50 for children and elderly and P60 for adults. The
park is home to about 113 tarsiers as of 2013.

The LGU gets 10% of the income from ticket sales. In addition, the Tarsier Sanctuary Park employs over
40 individuals earning P210 per day.

Apart from developing the river cruise and the Tarsier Park, the LGU also developed the Loboc Eco-
Adventure Park. The park has a zip line across the valley of two mountains and a viewing deck and a
restaurant. The ground around the viewing deck is landscaped with gardens. It is maintained by a total
of 30 tourism employees.

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The park charges P350 per person for the zip line
ride and P250 for the cable ride. In 2012, these rides
earned P10 million for the LGU.

The Loboc LGU does not want to rest on its laurels.

The mayor knows that there are other potentials in
the locality that they could still develop, among
them is food tourism through the native delicacies.
The treasurer thinks that the income of 2012 can still
be doubled in the next five years.

“till the e is a g a de isio . I the ea futu e, e

want to develop Loboc as the Wedding Capital of
Asia. Eco-Adventure Park and a Zip Line: Providing tourists with several
tour attraction and activities.

Cultural Development and Community Participation in Tourism

More than the river cruise, the town of Loboc gained international popularity because of the singing
talent of its children, Lo o Child e ’s Choi . They won in the Europe and Its Songs 6th International
Folksong Choir Festival, held in Barcelona, Spain, from September 17 to 21, 2003. Since gaining
international exposure, the choir has since attracted visitors to Loboc who wanted to hear them sing.

One writer described one of the performances of the groups as:

The a geli oi es of the Lo o Childre ’s Choir afted through the old e e i g air re deri g
motionless and mesmerized all those who heard them! At the end of their repertoire they were
greeted ith the loudest applause a d sta di g o atio .

The writer added: At a loss for ords a d i the ri k of tears, their so gs lifted e up to
heavenly heights. Their voices were so pure, the notes so clear and the kids so well trained and
dis ipli ed, you a ot help ut appre iate their perfor a e.

Alma Fernando-Taldo, a teacher at the Loboc Central Elementary School, founded the Lo o Child e ’s
Choir in 1980 as a cultural group that will grace school and community affairs of the town. The choir is
composed of schoolchildren ages nine to thirteen. Soon, however, the bravado of the choir was noticed
as they started winning in national and international competition.

Right efo e the ea th uake dest o ed the old “pa ish hu h of the to , the Lo o Child e ’s Choi
sang there during Sunday masses.

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Inspired by their international fame, other children and youth choir were organized by other local
mentors. One of such group is the Loboc Youth Ambassador, established by Rene B. Balbin, 53.

After working in Europe for ten years as a singer, Balbin decided to come home to Loboc and established
the Loboc School of Music in 1989. He started with few high school students who enrolled in his school
and trained them on various musical instruments, singing and performing. As a group, his ward was
invited to perform on various special occasions. This attracted other parents to enrol their children to
the music school. Soon, the number of enrolees reached to more 800. By then, he had to enlist the help
of four other trainers. By 2013, the music school have three performing bands, all named Loboc Youth
Ambassadors, but with sub- a es of Busa , “u a a d Ta sie g oups.

I lo e usi , said Bal i of his easo s fo ope i g the usi s hool.

He added that this is his way of helping his town mates overcome the challenge of poverty. The children
from the Loboc School of Music automatically are granted scholarships when they enter college by
e o i g e e s of the U i e sit ’s a ds a d ho ale g oups. As of , his school have placed 186
scholars in colleges and 35 students have successfully graduated. All the children in the school is covered
by a life insurance. They also get food and fare allowances for every performance that they stage in the
town or elsewhere.

I a full o fide t that the Lo o “ hool of Music will be sustained by the collective efforts of all the
hild e ho lea ed usi he e a d the e t ge e atio ho the ill also t ai , Bal i said.

Like the Lo o Child e ’s Choi , the Loboc Youth Ambassador also won the grand prize in Shanghai
Music Festival in 2008 and 2009. The three groups of the Youth Ambassador perform every Fridays and
Saturdays to the delight of tourists at the Child e ’s Pala e.

The Child e ’s Pala e as o st u ted the lo al go e e t, th ough a g a t assista e, to ha ess

the potential contribution of the singing groups to the tourism industry of the locality. In addition, the
LGU also mobilized support from
the Philippine-Australia
Cooperative Assistance Program
(PACAP) and constructed two
units of two-storey concrete
building that replaced the make
shift classroom of the School of
Music.

The fo e a o of the to
recognized human resource as an
Loboc is Where Angels Sing. The world famous Loboc Children’s Choir and important asset to the tourism
the Loboc Youth Ambassador indicate active people’s participation in tourism
development.

15
p og a , said the Be aldez, a holde of
aste ’s deg ee i e o-tourism
development from a university in Australia.

The recognition of the contribution of

human resource to tourism extends down
to the village level. The LGU supported the
formation of community performing groups
and rondallas through the provisions of
funds for costumes, trainings and musical
instruments. Two of these groups
organized and set-up the balsa by the river
bank that gives 15-minute performances to
tourists on the river cruise. Community Participation in Tourism Development. For Loboc, local
culture and people are the greatest tourism resource

We a e happ to si g a d da e; p o le s just disappea e e ti e I pe fo , said Bie e ida P.

Tak-an, 40, a mother of school-aged three children and elected as president of the performing group
called Gutoson Balsa Performers Association.

The community group was formalized into an association with the technical assistance of the
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in 2011. Three years before that, the group was being
managed by the barangay government of Gutoson. It has a total of 108 members. The other river bank
performing group have more or less the same number of members as well.

Bie e ida’s hild e also pe fo s i the alsa. He daughte Ju e il, , pla s the a jo a d da es
the tinikling. Her other daughter, Vanesa, 15, is a folk dancer while her son Sabino is a guitarist.

On good days, the members of balsa performing group earns as much as P200 each from the donations
given by tourists. On lean occasions, the individual earning can be as low as P41 each. The average
earning per individual is P150 per day. On any given day, as many as 30 members do the performance in
the balsa.

M hild e now seldom ask for thei fa e a d dail allo a e i goi g to s hool, said Bie e ida. “he
added that the earning the children earned during weekend performances are enough to cover their
expenses in the school during weekdays. She considered this a big help to the family income as her
hus a d’s ea i gs f o fishi g a d ei g fa hi ed ha d is a el e ough.

Thus, another important element of the Loboc Eco-tourism Program is the development and
mobilization of the human resource, talents and community participation. The Loboc LGU did this by
supporting the development of the talents of its constituencies and creatively positioned these talents in
a way that play a specific role in the tourism program.

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 We ha e to e e e , tou ists go to a pla e, ot o l e ause of the tou ists spots ut o e so
e ause the people the e a e a , f ie dl a d fu to e ith, said, tourism consultant, Bernaldez.

Harnessing the Powers of the Barangay Government for Tourism

Ha essi g the suppo t of the a a ga go e e ts is a othe ele e t of the to ’s tou is

program. The barangay government is seen as both beneficiaries and actors in the implementation of
the program.

From the income generated by the tourism program all the barangay government of Loboc are given
P , to P , o th of p oje ts e e ea . The a ou t ill i ease as the i o e f o the
tou is goes up, said the Ma o .

This a , the a a ga offi ials ill realize that the benefits of the tourism program directly accrues to
the a a ga s, the Ma o said.

The two barangay governments hosting the balsa performances also earns from their operations. The
BLGU gets a share equal to that of one member every day.

Barangay Villaflor, where the docking port is located, gets P400,000 share per quarter from the income
of the port. They are expected to use the earnings for the development of the village hosting the port.

As the municipality of Loboc is rebuilding from the devastation of the earthquake in October, the mayor
have allotted funds for Self-employment Enterprise Development (SEED), a livelihood development
p og a of the u i ipalit . I ill pe so all look i to the eeds of e e illage i u i ipalit ,
the mayor said.

In turn, the barangay government are expected to perform a positive role in the tourism program. First,
they are in-charge of maintaining the cleanliness of their respective villages. Second, the barangays are
expected to implement environmental protection and sanitation program. Third, they are supposed to
harness the human resource capacities of their constituents for them to contribute favourably to the
program.

Finally, the barangay government also sends 10 of the children in the barangay to study at the Loboc
School f Music.

For the eco-tou is p og a to su eed, the full oope atio of all the a a ga offi ials is eeded. We
ha e to sta d as o e, the a o said.

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Tourism Legislative Support

The Sanguniang Bayan (SB) plays an important role in

the development of the tourism program in Loboc.
Its’ ajo ole is to p o ide the e essa legislatio
to legally enable the implementation of the program.

The landmark legislation of the SB relative to the

tourism program is the passage of the ordinance for
the Collection of Maintenance Safety and Security
(MSS) Fees. This legislation in essence charges P100
for the safety, security and welfare of the tourist and Maintenance, Safety and Security Fee, which covers the river
the maintenance of the river environment. This cruise, environmental charges, security and safety fees, freed Loboc
brought forth the radical increase in the income of the town from IRA dependency.
LGU.

Another important legislation that was passed is the Cleanliness Ordinance. This ordinance prohibits the
throwing of garbage in the river and required all the barangays to maintain cleanliness in their
respective areas of responsibility.

Of the various SB resolutions, the most difficult to obtain was the Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to
enter into a Loan Agreement with Creditors. There were a number of oppositions to this resolution as it
meant incurring debt for the municipal government. The opposition doubted whether the tourism
investment will bear positive results in-terms of generating revenues. The mayor had to convince each
one of the council representatives until the resolution was finally passed.

Other municipal ordinances and resolutions were:

o Policy in the Usage of the Tourism Complex
o Speed Regulation of Boats
o Rest Hours of River Ordinance
o Ordinance for the Prevention of Oil Spill
o Ordinance Providing for Waste Receptors in the Municipality

In gist, the SB legalizes the actions of the chief executive .The experience of Loboc showed that working
hand-in-hand with the legislative body was essential if the Local Chief Executive wants the eco-tourism
program to materialize.

Summary: Major Elements of the Loboc Eco-Tourism Development Program

The success of the Loboc Eco-tourism Program was not spontaneous. It was envisioned. It was planned.
The plan was carried out decisively.

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 Box 2:
In conversations and interviews with the various 9 Major Elements
implementers and stakeholders of the Loboc Eco-tourism of the Loboc Eco-Tourism Development
Program, nine (9) major elements were found present in
the program and are identified as underlying factors for 1. Development of the Natural Tourism
its’ su ess. These ele e ts were discussed earlier and Potentials
2. Tourism Complex
are summarized in Box 2.
3. Tourism Office
4. Human Resource Development
For the implementers of the tourism in Loboc, all the nine 5. Legislation
elements are of equal importance and has to be present 6. Enlivening the Private Sector
as they each directly supports the program. These nine Involvement
are basically the necessary ingredients explaining the 7. Tourist Support Infrastructure
success of the Loboc Eco-tourism program. 8. Barangay Involvement
9. Leadership and Governance
Asked if there are other secrets to the success of the eco-
tourism program other than the nine elements identified
p e iousl , Be aldez e tu ed to sa , Leade ship a d politi al ill of the Ma o . She explained that it
was this character that the mayor possessed, which enabled him to push for the implementation of the
program amid oppositions and doubting Thomases.

Further, she said that the political will that the mayor demonstrated came in two forms. First is the
implementation of the policies agreed upon and the ordinances that were passed by the SB. For
example, the Mayor stood firm in the clearing of the area of vendors and market stalls, which was
intended for the tourism complex, even if this was an unpopular action. The second form is empowering
her staff and subordinates to manage the implementation of the tourism plan and the operations of the
tourism complex. The mayor respected the decisions made by her staff and stood by them even when
politics tried to controvert the management process.

Sultan, the floating boat operator, agreed with this observation. She too identified strong leadership as
major facilitating factor for the boom of the tourism industry.

For the visitors of Loboc, however, what may be easily felt is the intrinsic qualities of Loboc residents to
genuinely entertain their guests, which others call Filipino Hospitality. In Loboc, it is more than
hospitality. As one singer of a floating restaurant, Bienvenido M. Dalaga , , said, M ife had ade
e stop s oki g, a d d i ki g al ohol, ut I egged he ot to let e stop si gi g.

In the end, what makes Loboc tick is that the government and the people love what they are doing. This,
the tourists could feel and could appreciate. So they keep coming back to Loboc.

While the i e keeps o flo i g, e shall si g ith ou hea ts, said Bie e ido. This a tou is ill
continue to flourish, the usi a added. #30 (Jules L.Benitez)

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