SP OKs Dagupan ‘Island Tours’
THE Dagupan City sanggunian finally approved the commercial operation of the ” Island Tours” developed and organized by Mayor Belen Fernandez to help boost the city’s tourism industry.
The ordinance passed during its regular session last Tuesday on motion of Councilor Karlos Reyna, set the terms for the operation and management of the “Island Tours” and prescribed fees for the tour and the manner of collection of it.
The “Island Tours” traverses the Pantal and Calmay Rivers to give tourists a view of the city’s vast water resources and a quick glimpse at the local aquaculture industry.
The ordinance has set specific regulations for any one boarding the three “Island Tours” boats, christened as “The Philippines” , “United States” and “China” characterized by designs conspicuous in the three nations.
Each boat can accommodate 30 passengers maximum that lasts an average of two hours per trip.
Funds for constrution of the boats were donated to the city by multi-national companies Unilever, Procter & Gamble and Kraft.
The ordinance fixed the rate per passenger riding in the “Island Tours” at P25 per person per trip or P500 to charter a boat per trip. The monies that will be collected from passengers will be receipted and remitted to the city treasury.
Mayor Belen Fernandez hailed the approval of this ordinance since it is a requriement for the registration of the three flat boats with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
MARINA prescribes the regulations that will ensure passenger safety.
Mayor Fernandez said “Islamd Tours” will also promote local fish products produced under the program ‘One Fish, One barangay’ to the visitors.
The tour will make stops to enable tourists to buy fresh milkfish, groupers (lapu-lapu), ” talakitok”, oysters and others from local boatmen along the way.
The ‘Island Tours’ replace the shortlived Dagupan River Cruise that grounded to a halt after the boats were pulled out by Magic Group of companies that claimed ownership of the boats after then Mayor Benjamin Lim lost the election in May 2013.
The ‘Island Tours’ was formally launched during the Dagupan City fiesta last December with balikbayans as the first to ride on board the flat boats in their maiden voyage along the Dagupan rivers. (Leonardo Micua)
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