Capiz picking as ecotourism hub of the Visayas

ROXAS CITY, March 12 (PNA) – The province of Capiz in Panay Island is slowly but surely emerging as the next ecotourism hub of the Visayas with the entry of several tourism investments in this capital city.

This was announced by Capiz Governor Victor Tanco during the opening ceremony of the One Visayas summit here Thursday.

Tanco said the province, formerly known as the “aswang” capital of the Visayas, is positively getting out from that obnoxious tag by offering several investment opportunities to business locators.

The governor said the province sourly lacked hotels, restaurants, natural and man-made tourist destinations, resorts and infrastructure.

But when he took over the reigns of the province in 2007, he included tourism as the centerpiece of development thrusts of the province vying to be included in the tourism map of the Philippines.

For three years under his stewardship, Capiz slowly regained its drive and today, the province has many new hotels and pension houses, specialty restaurants and resorts to be proud of in drawing visitors and tourists to the area.

“Capiz is now ready for the big things. We have the facilities and the seafoods we can be proud of,” Tanco said.

Among the big things that Tanco was referring to is the International Dance Festival slated on March 15 in this city.

The province is also hosting the first Health Centrum costing some P600 million to be built in this city near the College of St. John as an answer to the needs of medical tourism.

A groundbreaking was held three months ago and construction is slated to be completed before the end of this year. The edifice will house a hospital condotel complete with restaurants, sports facilities and other amenities needed by retirees, senior citizens and domestic and foreign tourists. (PNA)
LAP/LCPendon