Maria “Nini” Ravanilla, DOT regional director, said the nature conservation group World Wide Fund-Philippines is conducting the study after the recent discovery of the baby whale shark accidentally caught in the area off the coast of Donsol.

According to Ravanilla, the smallest ever butanding was said to be a day-old whale shark hence it was born in the area.

Butanding are also thriving in this once sleepy town because of the abundance of krill and other planktons usually in the diet of the gentle giants of the seas.

Ravanilla said that the whale shark interaction in Donsol, one of the most visited tourist spots in Bicol or perhaps in the whole country, continues to draw tourist to Sorsogon last year which reached 101,799 or 21 percent higher than in 2009 with only 84,354.

She said that out of the total tourist arrivals last year, 73,925 were local tourists while 27,874 were foreigners or a ratio of one foreign tourist per three locals.

She said Donsol is now vying to be a first class municipality after its gross receipts from tourism reached more than P66 million.

Butanding, or whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is a slow-moving filter-feeding animal that is considered as the largest fish in the sea, measuring 40 feet or more.

This distinctively yellow-marked shark is the only member of its genus Rhincodon and its family, Rhincodontidae, which is grouped into the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes.

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Whether you have a permit or you keep your weapons in a tactical gun armory, the result is the same and you will be able to get out into the great outdoors and do some serious hunting. The many varieties of bird species are not only colorful, but also delicious. Imagine sighting in on a Philippines Duck with your Nikon rifle scopes and then later roasting it in a delicious duck adobo sauce. Not only delicious, but also nutritious.

Of course, there are more than a few ways to engage in bird hunting in the Philippines. One can hire a guide or go it alone, of course, getting a guide is recommended. The guides know the area, the regulations, and the best times to go. They also have plenty of experience in outfitting expeditions with great equipment like Leupold scopes or the correct color camouflage clothing for the terrain.

In terms of regulations for bird hunters, there are quite a few. Make sure that before going out and shooting something you make sure that you know what you are allowed to hunt and which birds and animals are protected. There are a large number of threatened and endangered species in the Philippine Islands and you want to be certain you don’t accidentally bag one since not only will the future of the species be harmed, but it is also likely that you will face a steep fine, loss of your weapon, and possibly jail time or deportation. As common sense would dictate, make sure that you know all of the safety regulations and features of your rifles or shotguns prior to setting out on any bird hunting expeditions.

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DENR Public Affairs director Marissa Cruz said Bukidnon was successful in pushing for its eco-tourism program to attract investors.

Cruz said Bukidnon’s rich natural resources, climate, and eco-tourism potentials are its assets to jumpstart an image building effort to “resell” the province as an investment destination.

In an earlier interview, incumbent Bukidnon Governor Jose Zubiri said that eco-tourism was a good entry point for better business environment in the province.

“Once eco tourism thrives, it is easier to attract real estate investors and other financial leaders,” Zubiri said.

Over the weekend, Cruz and other officials of the DENR Central Office, DENR-Region 10 and Asian Center for Biodiversity (ACB) were here to check out the 840 meter dual zip lines at the Dahilayan Adventure Park, a buffer zone of Mt. Kitanglad in Barangay Dahilayan, this town.

The national government declared the mountain range as a national park of nature. It was also declared as ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Heritage Park in 2009 and cited by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site last May.

The DENR and ACB officials took rough roads to get into the Zip Zone in Dahilayan, but for the visitors the road condition was part of their ecotourism experience.

They passed through vast pineapple and banana plantations, some of them owned by Del Monte Philippines.

Dahilayan is about 40 kilometers from Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental and passing by Del Monte Camp Phillips.

Dahilayan is like Baguio in its pristine days before due to its scenery and temperature. Earlier, there was so much development here, particularly at the Dacudao family farm.

Located across a rugged terrain, adorned with parcels of land planted to pine trees, owners have developed the site into a prime tourist attraction nine months after they opened their zip line facility.

Mechanical Engineer Elpidio “Elpi” Paras, owner and founder of Dahilayan Adventure Park, told the Philippines News Agency that tourism business here has been good so far.

He said the park draws more than 10,000 foreign and local tourists a month to the Bukidnon Zip Line, “The number of visitors exceeded our expectations,” said Paras who saw the potential of the place as an ecotourism potential.

In their first quarter of operations last year, some 3,000 visitors took their wired rides.

Paras said cool weather and their unique location, he said, helped them attract visitors after putting ads in the net and in in-flight magazines.

“I saw this kind of tourist attraction when I traveled in the United States and Europe so I brought the idea here,” said Paras, a leading technology innovator in Cagayan de Oro. He also founded the first cable system outside Metro Manila.

Dual zip lines are not yet offered by their competitors, he said. He said that that another edge was the use of a state-of-the art brake technology to ensure safety of riders.

In Bukidnon, zip line extreme sports adventure gains wider following and brings in more tourists.

The park offers the longest 840-meter dual cable zip line at introductory rate of P 500 as main attraction. The shorter rides – 320 meters and 150 meters – cost P 200.

The Philippines News Agency (PNA) had the chance to ride both zip lines.

ACB official Dr. Filiberto Pollisco said he and wife, Mitzi, got the thrill of their lives. “My wife and I had some kind of a bonding. It’s one amazing adventure we can’t forget!

ACB public affairs officer Angela Metin said she could not forget her experience flying by wire. “I was able to conquer my fear after taking the ride at Zip Zone,” she said.

Many brave Asia’s longest Dual Zipline as they zoom like Superman from a launch point at 4,700 feet above sea level and with an average speed of 45 kph, through lush greenery and breathtaking views only found in the mountains of Dahilayan.

Paras said the zipline riding is guaranteed safe and fun for every age. Zip zone has become the ultimate adventure destination for young and old alike, he said.

Since its opening in September 2009, Zip zone has been visited by over a thousand enthusiasts, including a courageous two-year old and a 77-year-old grandfather.

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The next question is, What outdoor travel accessories should I bring? For sure you need backpacks, light travel clothing if you are visiting a sunny destination, toiletries and other travel accessories like Swiss knife or sog knives.

You don’t have to bring all travel accessories that you have and just always bring the basic ones unless you really need it. The goal is to always travel light right? Make sure that you only have some travel accessories you’ll never be sorry you packed. Be sure to have mesh ditty bags for packing and organizing T-shirts, underwear and other light clothing’s. Consider buying folders that can hold several dress shirts, blouses and tourers if you want your clothing wrinkle free.

Keep your toiletry in one small toiletry bag where you can place your soap, shampoo, toothbrush, razor, sunblock. Get the one that has special pockets, holders and containers for a variety of personal-care items.

For security purposes, be sure to have padlocks for your backpack and luggages specially if you are staying in a hostel or guest houses. I saw several Pacsafe products that has security features that provides comprehensive security. Not only that, It also allows you to secure your bag to fixed objects with the locking system to deter theft.

Here are some other optional accessories that you might want to bring when you take your next trip: Binoculars, Music player, Mini-flashlight, Camera, Clothing steamer, Mini-umbrella, Luggage rack, Door alarm and First-aid kit.

It would not be surprising that you might have additional options to this list, or you might have a list entirely different from the list above. Check out The Blade Shop and Internet sites that sell travel accessories, you would learn that there are many products out there that you thought you never needed but turned out to be the contrary!

Photo shows (7th from left) Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Tourism Planning and Promotions, with (2nd from right) Venus Tan, Tourism Attaché of DOT Frankfurt, and (3rd from left) Verna Buensuceso, Team Europe Head, with representatives of the top 4 Swiss travel operators.

The DOT welcomed the group with a colorful performance by the Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company.

The travel agents are slated to visit their market’s top six destinations, namely Manila, Bohol, Cebu, Boracay, Palawan and Northern Luzon.

Together with partners KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Annset Holidays, 16 local tour operators will host these familiarization trips.

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