2 Davao Norte cities shortlisted for DOT tourism challenge

DAVAO CITY – Two Davao del Norte cities have been shortlisted and assured of a grant from the Department of Tourism (DOT) through the Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC) initiatives.

In a press briefing Wednesday, Davao del Norte tourism officer Noel Daquioag said the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) and Tagum City have been chosen for the TCC and are only waiting for the result to be released by DOT this year.

“They have been included in the Mindanao cluster; there are 15 in the entire country,” Daquioag said.

Through the TCC, cities and municipalities are encouraged to propose any tourism project that is in line with the 7-point tourism agenda of the national government.

For its entry, Tagum City proposed for an enriched heritage tourism circuit while the IGACOS endorsed the mangrove boardwalk and gallery for Sanipaan Vanishing Island located in Barangay Tambo.

Daquioag said the TCC was launched in February this year to incentivize the tourism development of the cities and municipalities of the country to spur economic activities within their areas through noteworthy project proposals.

“There are about a hundred entries which took on the challenge. We are lucky that we are in the top five,” he said.

Apart from the two cities in Davao del Norte, Davao City, San Agustin town in Surigao del Sur, and Isabela City in Basilan province were also shortlisted.

“These five will undergo capability building as well as enhancement of the technical works of their projects,” Daquioag said. (PNA)