Senator Richard Gordon has pledged to initiate steps in the Senate to convert Sta. Cruz Island into a premiere tourist destination, owned and managed by the people of the city of Zamboanga.

Gordon, who is the architect of WOW Philippines, the country’s tourism promotion campaign, expressed intentions to help improve Sta. Cruz Island during the Zamboanga Night presentation in the WOW Philippines event in Intramuros last weekend, based on the request of Mayor Celso Lobregat.

“I recommend that one day in this great country, very soon, we can finally realize the dream of making Sta. Cruz Island, owned by the people of Zamboanga, become a foremost tourism hub”, the former Department of Tourism Secretary said in his message before Zamboanga City officials, residents and even representatives from the diplomatic corps.

He believed that the island can be better run by the Zamboanguenos and promised to take steps, such as legislating measures, that will help ensure that the city government will be able to implement its plan.

“I will cast my vote and cast my passion, we will continue to do that in the next few days. When I go to the senate I certainly will talk about this and even push it to the highest level”, the senator vowed.

Prior to the start of the program opening Zamboanga Night dubbed “Celebracion Magnifica”, Mayor Lobregat intimated to Gordon about the city’s intention to take over management of nationally-run facilities such as the Sta. Cruz Island including the Pasonanca convention center.

Gordon, who is the principal author of the recently approved Tourism Bill, now known as the Tourism Act of 2009, assured that Sta. Cruz Island will be one of the tourism facilities that would be undertaken in Mindanao under the new law.

“After four and a half years of fighting in the Senate, we finally got the Tourism Bill approved and right away and when we talk about Sta. Cruz Island, we must assert that we get it for Zamboanga and that will be one of the first tourism infrastructure enterprises zone authority must undertake in Mindanao”, the senator said.

He also talked lengthily about the potentials of Zamboanga and his fondness for the city.

Sta. Cruz Island is a 20-minute ride by boat from Zamboanga and is presently run by the Protective Area Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Meanwhile, Mayor Lobregat expressed elation that Senator Gordon strongly supports the city’s plan but stressed that several issues regarding the island have to be clarified specifically the titled properties.

Celebracion Magnifica was an hour long presentation of Zamboanga’s songs, dances and fashion and was attended by members of the diplomatic corps led by Spanish Ambassador Luis Arias Romero.

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