The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Board has approved seven tourism infrastructure projects worth P4 billion which seek to promote sustainable tourism, restore and rehabilitate cultural and historical sites and improve overall visitor experience.
The board on November 28 identified as priority some tourism infrastructure projects in Benguet, Palawan, Iloilo, Pampanga, Pangasinan and Corregidor Island.
Pocholo Paragas, TIEZA chief operating officer, said the approved projects were recommended by the TIEZA infrastructure Committee after evaluation and consultations.
These include the rehabilitation of Burnham Park in Baguio; construction of wastewater treatment facility, modular floating docks and solar streetlights in Coron, Palawan; Tagkawayan Beach tourism development project, modular floating docks in various barangays in Puerto Princesa, Paawan; construction of housing for hyperbaric chamber facilities in El Nido and Coron, Palawan; restoration/rehabilitation of three plazas in Iloilo namely Arevalo, Molo, La Paz Plaza; reconstruction and retrofitting of St. Agustin Church and San Guillermo Church and; reconstruction of breakwater in Corregidor Island in Cavite City.
These bring to P5 billion the TIEZA has approved projects for the year, including the P1.2 billion worth of tourism infrastructure which included the rehabilitation and improvement of the Chocolate Hills Complex.
TIEZA has allocated P400 million for the rehabilitation of the Burnham lake and Children’s park while Palawan was also given high priority.
Palawan alone got P854 million fund.
In 2018, TIEZA invested more than P1 billion to construct the Boracay water drainage program to address the flooding problem in the island.