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Ecotourism

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THE ECOTOURISM IN CALAUG, QUEZON: IT'S POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract
In Calauag, Quezon, ecotourism is a term yet to be coined by its local inhabitants. Calauag, Quezon is a first class municipality in the province of Quezon in Region IV-A. It belongs to the Luzon group of islands. Calauag is partly urban but still is considered as an agricultural municipality. Statistics would show that a small slice of its land is used for the urban core of the municipality which is as much as 1.59 hectares out of the 42, 318 hectares of land. The rest is devoted to agriculture. (Vesorde, 2011) Ecotourism, in its very essence is intended to provide cultural unity and economic improvement to its local inhabitants while fostering environmental education. Wildlife and natural surroundings are the assets of ecotourism such as those found in Calauag, Quezon, hence the researcher, being born and raised in this municipality, thought of conducting a study which assesses its real potentials for ecotourism development. Furthermore, the researcher intends to point out the strengths, weaknesses, and possible future effect of the study area for developing it into eco-tourist spot. With this in mind, this thesis entitled “The Ecotourism in Calaug, Quezon: It's Potential Development” was conceptualized.
This study was conducted to assess the potential development of ecotourism in Calauag, Quezon. Specifically, it aims to focus on the following sub problems, viz. a viz.: (1) What are the demographic profile of the respondents according to: age, gender, length of stay in the municipality, and; educational attainment; (2) What are the different potentially ecological spots in Calauag, Quezon; (3) What are the types of ecotourism activities that can be catered in Calauag, Quezon; (4) What are the programs implemented by the government to develop ecotourism; and (5) What are the opportunities that communities can do to develop ecotourism?
This thesis made use of both the qualitative and quantitative type of researches. The study is exploratory in a sense that it attempted a theory that there is a potential for Calauag to come up as eco-tourist destination. At the same time, it is quantitative since it confirmed the earlier theory.
Because the proponent wished to establish the facts for this research, he resorted into direct observation qualitative questions for his respondents to answer. Likewise, quantitatively, the proponent treated the results of the survey instrument designed and found its numeric equivalents that were interpreted using a descriptive scale.
After the findings were laid, the proponent would like to present the conclusions to guide the readers whether the objectives set were achieved, as follows: (1) Majority of the respondents were already mature people as they are senior members of the community, most of them are females, college graduates and had been in the municipality for a long time, hence their responses can be said as accurate due to characteristics; (2) Respondents agreed that there are possible ecological spots in Calauag; (3) Respondents agreed that Calauag is prepared to offer various ecotourism activities; (4) Respondents agreed that Calauag’s local government is strategizing to be able to develop ecotourism in the municipality; and (5) Respondents agreed that the community is prepared to do various activities to help in the development of ecotourism.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study The Philippines is a home of natural beauty due to its strategic setting and innate nature attractions that are perfect for outdoor activities or relaxing pursuits. Its advantage is with its combined brilliance of its shoreline being a nation of multiple islands and the luxury of its modern city living. Its beauty is spiced with thousands of natural beaches, coves, and rich forest reserves. On the other side of the coin, its cosmopolitan areas are pleasured by tourist with various giant malls, shopping centers, restaurants, arcades, gaming establishments, hotels, fashion boutiques, golf courses, etc.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) website published that “the Philippines is regarded as one of the top 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world in view of its high percentage of endemic plants and animals which are threatened by extinction. Recognizing the diverse natural and cultural resources of the country, Executive Order (EO) No. 111 was issued on 17 June 1999 to establish the guidelines for ecotourism development in the Philippines. Pursuant to EO111 the National Ecotourism Strategy (NES) was formulated to provide an integrated management plan for the development of ecotourism in the country. (www.pawb.gov.ph, para. 1)”
Tourism, on one hand, is an important human activity due to its wide range significance. It provides not only economic value but also social, political, cultural and educational (Phu, 2005). He added that because tourism comprises many industrial activities, it involves many individuals, enterprises and organizations. Ecotourism, on the other hand, is defined by Fennel (as cited in Phu, 2005, para.2) as “a sustainable form of natural resource-based tourism that focuses primarily on experiencing and learning about nature, and which is ethically managed to be low-impact, non-consumptive, and locally oriented (control, benefits, and scale). It typically occurs in natural areas, and should contribute to the conservation or preservation of such areas”. In Calauag, Quezon, ecotourism is a term yet to be coined by its local inhabitants. In theory, ecotourism is said to benefit the local communities due to its involvement in the development and preservation of their ecosystem which in turn become a tourist destination. In the long run, the benefits that the local community will reap will lead to community development. Although ecotourism originally appeared in 1970s (Nelson, 1994 as cited in Do, 2011), its idea is not yet fully comprehended in various municipalities in the Philippines, including Calauag. Calauag, Quezon is a first class municipality in the province of Quezon in Region IV-A. It belongs to the Luzon group of islands. Calauag is partly urban but still is considered as an agricultural municipality. The people of this municipality earn their living by planting and harvesting coconuts, rice, citrus and fruits. Another earning a living in this municipality is through fishing being a town near the coasts off the Pacific Ocean. Lately, it is being dubbed as the melting pot of the Southern Tagalog due to transportation route plying to other Southern Tagalog locations, or to Bicol-Manila region. Statistics would show that a small slice of its land is used for the urban core of the municipality which is as much as 1.59 hectares out of the 42, 318 hectares of land. The rest is devoted to agriculture, marginal lands such as river, springs and creeks, open grasslands which are used for transportation routes, and swamps, marshes and fishpond areas. (Vesorde, 2011) Ecotourism, in its very essence is intended to provide cultural unity and economic improvement to its local inhabitants while fostering environmental education. Wildlife and natural surroundings are the assets of ecotourism such as those found in Calauag, Quezon, hence the researcher, being born and raised in this municipality, thought of conducting a study which assesses its real potentials for ecotourism development. Furthermore, the researcher intends to point out the strengths, weaknesses, and possible future effect of the study area for developing it into eco-tourist spot. With this in mind, this thesis entitled “The Ecotourism in Calaug, Quezon: It's Potential Development” was conceptualized.

Statement of the Problem This study was conducted to assess the potential development of ecotourism in Calauag, Quezon. Specifically, it aims to focus on the following sub problems, viz. a viz.:
1. What are the demographic profile of the respondents according to:
a. age;
b. gender,
c. length of stay in the municipality, and;
d. educational attainment?
2. What are the different potentially ecological spots in Calauag, Quezon?
3. What are the types of ecotourism activities that can be catered in Calauag, Quezon?
4. What are the programs implemented by the government to develop ecotourism?
5. What are the opportunities that communities can do to develop ecotourism?

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