BONTOC, Mountain Province – The local government is opposing the inclusion of famous tourist destinations in Sagada’s heritage and ecological tourism park.
These are the Kaman Otek in Barangay Balili (known as Blue Soil in Sagada), Echo Valley known in Bontoc as Kaipitan located in Barangay Alab Proper, Kaman Baneng, also located at Alab Proper known as Marlboro Country Mountain in Sagada, and the Ganga Cave.
The Ganga Cave is located deep into the boundary of Bontoc, particularly in Barangay Alab Oriente. The cave is the traditional burial site of the people of Alab.
The local government of Bontoc has always opposed the inclusion or insinuation of inclusion of Kaman Otek, Kaman Baneng, and Kaipitan as part of Sagada.
In 2015, the Sangguniang Bayan of Bontoc passed a resolution opposing the cadastral survey of Sagada particularly the boundary between the four barangays of Bontoc namely Balili, Alab Proper, Alab Oriente, and Bontoc Ili, and Suyo, Balugan, Antadao and Tetep-an in Sagada.
The cadastral survey conducted by Sagada included some parts of barangays Balili, Alab Proper, and Alab Oriente and the sites where Kaman Otek, Kaman Baneng and Kaipitan are located.
Kaman Otek, Kaman Baneng and Kaipitan is included and declared part of the three-year tourism development plan of Bontoc which was submitted to the Department of Tourism.
Considering that the said tourist destinations are within the political and territorial jurisdiction of Bontoc, the Bontoc council highlighted that it should not be included by the municipality of Sagada in its proposed ordinance declaring certain tourist sites as natural heritage and ecological tourism park. – Alpine Killa
May 9, 2024
