by Vency D. Bulayungan

KIANGAN, Ifugao – With the vision of transforming the oldest and most historic town here into a heritage town and an eco-cultural tourism haven, the municipal dads here enacted an ordinance providing and mandating the protection and management of all God-given natural and man-made tourist spots and providing funds thereof.

Annie Dumangeng, Municipal Tourism Officer here said that the municipal government here supports the tourism industry not only as an economic undertaking but also as a way of promoting its rich historic cultural legacy.

According to Dumangeng, the LGU in coordination with the Save the Ifugao Rice Terraces Movement (SITMO) have trained 40 tourist guides as a means of providing employment to the people. “The tour guides are paid P400.00 for every five tourists,” she said.

Guided by its vision and mission of protecting, managing and preserving the natural and man-made tourist spots, the LGU has been frequently visited by tourists to take a glimpse among others the Yamashita Shrine, Utu and Bagnit Waterfalls, Pangagawan Caves and the Nagacadan Rice Terraces.

Cited as the “Beauty/Tourist Spots Ordinance of Kiangan, Fugato”, the ordinance require foreign as well as local tourists to pay to the barangay P20.00 entrance fee, P10.00 environment fee, P10.00 camping fee to the Municipal Government, P100.00 exploration fee per head (50% of the P100 will go to the tourist guide and 50% will go to the LGU) and a porterage fee of 250.00/day/porter. (PIA-Ifugao)