Enjoined through an eco-tourism initiative, the provincial local government unit (PLGU) of Sorsogon together with the local government unit (LGU) of Donsol, World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature – Donsol, and other private stakeholders officially launches PAGBUTWA: The Festive Opening of Butanding Season at the Butanding Visitors’ Center in Dancalan, Donsol, Sorsogon on Friday, January 10.
Bragging its title as the ‘Land of the Gentle Giants,’ the province of Sorsogon is indeed proud of its tourist influx last 2024 since it has economically sustained its top-tier whale shark interaction experiences laid over to visiting foreign and domestic guests.
According to recent data, 869 whale sharks are sighted within the water vicinity of Donsol – which is equivalent to 40% in the overall whale shark sightings in the Philippines, much more to the sightings recorded in Oslob, Cebu.
Pagbutwa also serves as an opportunity for empowering the locals’ livelihood means which includes the local Butanding Interaction Officers (BIOs), Butanding Boat Operators’ Association (BBOA), and local firefly guides for the firefly watching in Ogod River.
Living within these conservation efforts, WWF Donsol has been continuously working with LGU Donsol in terms of eco-tourism conservation and sustainability programs for marine biodiversity, especially in the rich waters of the town.
Moreover, WWF Donsol has incorporated a program to branch out its capabilities to cover Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape which the waters of Donsol is also part of. I Danica Roselyn Lim
Photos: Don Llagas