The province of Lanao del Sur recorded P1.2 billion tourism receipts in 2016 posting as the number one tourism destination among the provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) during the year.
Official figures from the ARMM’s Tourism department showed that the province attracted 69,606 visitors in 2016, 14 percent higher than the 61,058 visitors registered in 2015.
Ahmad Nouraldinn Tamano Jr, provincial tourism focal person, said the province has been persuasive on their campaign to promote Lanao del Sur as a tourism destination.
They have been showcasing the distinct characteristics of the Meranao way of life, history, and culture by participating in various events such as the Phil Travel Mart.
Tamano said one of the must-see attractions is Lake Lanao, the largest inland body of water in Mindanao and the second largest lake in the Philippines. Lake Lanao serves as reservoir for the Agus hydroelectric power plants that generate up to 75 percent of Mindanao’s power supply.
The arts and crafts of the Maranao tribe, Polo Barakat Mosque in Binidayan, Kilometer Zero, Mindanao State University and Daguduban in Marawi City; Lake Dapao in Pualas; and white water rafting in Wao could also easily lure tourists to the province.
Tamano further said that part of the agenda of Provincial Governor Soraya A. Adiong is cultural tourism and promotion of tourist destinations to generate income and livelihood to the locals.
Meanwhile, a total of 212,649 visited the region’s five provinces in 2016 with roughly P3.7 billion in tourism-related expenditures.
ARMM Tourism Secretary Ayesha Mangudadatu-Dilangalen said the influx of tourists in the region falls in the last quarter of the year. Outside of Lanao del Sur, provincial breakdown of the region’s tourism data in 2016 showed the following: Tawi-Tawi with 63,509 visitors and P1.1 billion in gross receipts; Maguindanao with 40,981 visitors and P721 million in gross receipts; Basilan with 24,243 visitors and P424 million in gross receipts; and Sulu with 13,857 and P242 million in gross receipts.
“Tourist gross receipts cut across other industries like transport, trade, food, and telecommunications, among others,” Sec. Dilangalen explained.
She also said that tourism can provide direct jobs to the community. “Visitors' expenditures generate income for the local community and can lead to the alleviation of poverty,” she added. (BPI/PIA-10)
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