Leyte town of Palompon has introduced new tourism activities in a new eco-adventure park which was developed from an old mine site for travelers seeking thrill and adventures.
Initially opened to the public in 2017, the Palompon Eco-Terrestrial Adventure Park is a 10 kilometer travel from the town center to the upland village of Liberty.
The five-hectare site was abandoned for several years and declared as a watershed area by then President Corazon Aquino after its extraction period as a limestone mine site came to an end.
The local government of Palompon transformed the area into an eco-adventure park in hopes of attracting more tourists to stay longer in their town.
The eco-adventure park has a double zip line ride in an area where a colony of monkeys resides and can be observed. The first sky bike ride in Eastern Visayas can also be found in the eco-adventure park which visitors can experience for just P 100.00.
Inside the boundaries of the eco-adventure park are at least three to four caves and waterfalls. The destination also offers trekking, camping, mountain climbing, rappelling, and spelunking.
“Additional features will also be put by the local government like the ropes course, Spartan course and children’s playground,” Raoul Bacalla, head of the Palompon municipal environment and natural resources office, was quoted in a Philippine News Agency article.
Visitors can also participate in disaster risk reduction and management activities and learn about the importance of flora and fauna.
Polompon, widely known for its prime tourist destination site of 750-meter long uninhabited island of Kalanggaman, also has other alternatives for its tourists like the Palompon Ecological Solid Waste Management Park regularly toured by local government officials from different parts of the country; and, the 72-hectare marine park and bird sanctuary Tabuk Marine Park Fish and Bird Sanctuary.
The town has the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) assistance to promote these tourist-ready destinations, which the department considers sustainable because they involve the community.
“When people visit Kalanggaman, we are urging them to consider these adventure activities a try, because I tell you, they are all adrenaline rush and its tourism with a heart,” DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said.
