BONTOC, Mountain Province – Gearing towards a zero plastic waste environment especially in the tourist destinations, the newly organized association of local tour guides in Bontoc conducted a cleanup drive and team-building last June 21 along the trails from Mt. Pukis in Barangay Bontoc Ili to Mt. Fato and The Lonely Tree in Barangay Maligcong.
The Bontoc Eco Guides Association was organized after a week-long eco-seminar organized and funded by the Municipal Tourism Office in partnership with the Department of Tourism on June 6 to 12.
Municipal Tourism Officer Caren Guinayen said the Bontoc Eco Guides Association in coordination with the MTO initiated the activity in observance of the National Tour Guides Day every third Monday of June.
She said two sacks of plastic bottles, plastic wrappers, and leftover food were collected by the tour guides during their cleanup drive.
She appealed to the public visiting the tourist destinations in the municipality to dispose their trash properly.
“It is our simple way of expressing our gratitude to Mother Earth, and we hope that our quest for a greener and better environment will not stop here,” Guinayen said.
She added the cleanup drive and team-building activities came into fruition with the participation of the tour guides; the local government of Bontoc, which provided transportation assistance; the Bontoc Municipal Police Station; and Councilor Jerome Tudlong, Jr. who provided cash assistance. – Alpine L. Killa
