DoT brands Sohoton Cave as Eastern Visayas’ anchor tourism product

published in BusinessWorld November 06, 2009

TACLOBAN CITY -- Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" H. Durano has branded the Sohoton Cave and River Cruise in Basey, Samar as the Eastern Visayas region’s anchor tourism product that could advance unpopular tourism sites and activities in other areas in the region.

Mr. Durano said Sohoton Cave has been drawing both domestic and foreign tourists. Further development and aggressive promotion of this destination would boost tourist traffic to Samar and the rest of the region, he added.

"Our strategy is to start developing an anchor product. There’s a need to develop one site to start the tourism traffic here," Mr. Durano said.

He said the Department of Tourism (DoT) chose Sohoton Cave as anchor product because it is unique and considered as the biggest cave system in Southeast Asia.

"Once this is famous, we will expand to other activities that would complement the Sohoton Cave tours. When tourists [begin to arrive, it will be easier] to develop other sites," he explained.

With the established tours to the site, the DoT is positioning Eastern Visayas as a destination for adventure tourism.

Sohoton Cave, which may be reached through the Golden River, is part of the 840-hectare forested area that was declared a national park in 1935. The cave has been drawing tourists, hobbyists, researchers and even treasure hunters.

The park boasts of natural wonders like waterfalls, underground streams and caves with unique rock formations aside from having a lush forest and a number of wildlife species.

Mr. Durano said the launching of the Golden River Cruise in May this year helped draw more tourists to the Sohoton Cave.

A river cruise boat can carry up to 30 tourists and a crew, including a singer and guitarist. It is more spacious than the vessels used for the famous Loboc river cruise in Bohol, Mr. Durano said. There is even a tour package featuring add-ons such as river-cruise meals, trained and uniformed guides, a catering service and overnight lodgings.

Tourism regional director Karina Rosa Tiopes said the department extended a P230,000 grant for the skills training and supplies while the municipal government allotted a counterpart fund of P100,000 to build the boat under the government’s Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Ecotourism Program.

The boat, which is being operated by the 34-member Basey Tourism Services Association (BATOSAN), is the only operating boat designed for river cruising although there are also kayaks that carry visitors to the mouth of the cave.

The Basey municipal tourism office reported that tourists from the US and Canada have tried the cruise and visited the cave. Groups from Korea and Japan have also expressed their interest to take the river cruise and explore Sohoton.

There are two tour packages to choose from. The first includes a river cruise and guided cave exploration for P600 while the second which costs P400 is for those who prefer the river cruise.(Sarwell Q. Meniano)