Metro Iloilo-Guimaras gets solid boost from AusAID LGDP
Iloilo City "The next big thing"?
With yesterday's arrival of Australian Embassy officials, seemed like it would actually be Metro Iloilo and Guimaras region as the next big thing for this part of the country.
Here in town yesterday for the official start of the Integrated Tourism and Integrated Infrastructure Action Plans projects for the provinces of Iloilo and Guimaras, an executive meeting laid down programs long drawn after months of planning and workshops .
An initiative under the Australian Government's AusAID Local Governance Development Program (LGDP), local counterparts comprised four Project Management Teams earlier formed with team members coming from representatives of the Australian Government, officials from local governments of Iloilo and Guimaras and region's executives from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
AusAID has since supported various local economic development efforts particularly in programs targeted by the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC).
The joint tourism and infrastructure planning has Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas as chair of the Integrated Tourism Action Plan Project Board with the city mayor being the current MIGEDC chair. Members are Australian Embassy's First Secretary for Development Cooperation Angus Barnes, Australian Embassy's Program Officer Rosa Antes, LGDP Program Director David Goodwins, Narzalina Lim of consulting firm Asia Pacific Projects (APP), Tourism Regional Director Edwin Trompeta and Partnership Adviser of LGDP Iloilo's Francis Gentoral.
The Integrated Tourism Action Plan Project Board will work hand in hand with the 6-man Project Assurance Team chaired by MIGEDC Executive Director Jose Roni Peñalosa alongside Sta. Barbara Mayor Isabelo Maquino, MIGEDC Tourism Committee chair and DILG Regional Director Evelyn Trompeta as among the team members.
The purpose of this project is to achieve cooperation amongst the local tourism industry through better integration of activities, demonstration projects and the provision of supporting infrastructure, skills and expertise and to develop local tourism products and services to meet the needs of potential niche markets.
With this project, AusAID LGDP further aims to develop the tourism sector of Metro Iloilo and Guimaras in order to fast track local economic benefits to the participating municipalities.