MABINI, Compostela Valley, Philippines (PIA) – More than funfare and games, the Summer Beachfest of Compostela Valley (ComVal) also aims to protect the coastal environment, the Provincial Tourism Office said.

According to provincial tourism officer Cristine Dompor, the provincial government made a plan to develop Kopiat Island as a turtle sanctuary, and make it a parallel project with the Summer Beachfest which is being held annually to entice visitors to enjoy Compostela Valley’s beach resorts.

Aside from the hatching sea turtles, Kopiat Island is surrounded with coral reefs and is endowed with white sand beach, making it an attraction to beach goers during summer.

Having seen the need to protect the island and the visiting turtles, Dompor made initial negotiations with the Lapanday Company, which she said, partly owns the island.

“Our concern is not just games but also environmental advocacy,” she said.

Dompor explained that holding the Summer Beachfest is also a way of encouraging people to be concerned with the coastal environment.

Dompor opened the Summer Beachfest over the weekend with a fun-run dubbed “Takbo sa Kalikasan.”

She also made sure that the fluvial parade, which formed part of the festival, would feature marine themes. The fest would run in three weekends.

On the same occasion, Philippine Information Agency Regional Director Efren F. Elbanbuena urged resort owners to get at the forefront of efforts to protect coastal environment, further encouraging them to delineate an area of their resort to grow mangroves.

Elbanbuena suggested to Dompor to go beyond making beach funfare, citing to consider coastal clean-up activities as part of her tourism initiatives.

Dompor willingly took the suggestion, saying that members of the Small Hotel and Resorts (SHARE) group had been taking part in a yearly coastal clean-up activity along with students in schools of Comval’s coastal towns of Maco, Mabini, and Pantukan.

Meanwhile, Dompor admitted that beach resorts in Compostela Valley have yet to set up their sewerage system, but she has plans to introduce to them the “Reed Weed System” of managing sewage.

“It’s environment-friendly and less costly. Reeds are natural filters of wastes,” she said.

Dompor said she planned to introduce the said technology of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the Beachview Beach Resort, before having it adopted by the 22 members of SHARE.