TABACO CITY—The first ever tourist rest area (TRA) in the Bicol Region will soon rise on an “upcycled park” after it broke ground on Wednesday, July 31, in this city.
The TRA in Hiraya Manawari Nature Park, which is also the city’s materials recovery facility (MRF), will be one of the 22 planned new sites where tourists can get information on tourism attractions and accomodations, and avail of free services such as comfortable resting area or charge their gadgets.
Aside from the 22 new TRAs, 10 sites have already been inaugurated in strategic tourist locations in the country.
Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco led the groundbreaking ceremony in this city at 9:30 a.m.
She was accompanied by local officials Tabaco City Mayor Cielo Krisel Lagman, Vice Governor Glenda Ong Bongao, and DOT Bicol Regional Director Herbie Aguas.
According DOT, building the TRA will take three to four months before it is fully furnished.
“Tabaco City represents sustainable tourism, which very well resonates with the National Tourism Development Plan of the national government,” Frasco told the media on why this city was chosen as the site for the first TRA in Bicol.
“One of the most positive takeaways from the (already operational) TRAs is the economic opportunity that this gives to the small and medium interprises,” Frasco said. “With that, we are able to introduce to the tourists the heart and soul of the destination through gastronomic flavors.”
Aside from food, she said that artists will also be able to sell their art and local textile through the TRA.
Upcycled Park
Hiraya Manawari Natural Park in San Vincente village is an LGU-owned park that was established during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Locals call it an “upcycled park” not just because it is the city’s MRF, but because it houses some of the materials previously found in the city center including the old waiting shed in front of a fast food chain that they turned into a cafe inside the park.
“[The park] is not just upcycling materials and trash and transforming them into treasures, but making sure that each one is a work of love and art of the people of Tabaco City,” Lagman said.
She also said that Hiraya Manawari was their immediate option when they were asked to identify a site for a TRA to be funded by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
Sustainable TRA
Frasco said that the additional TRAs including that in Hiraya Manawari will be solar-powered.
“As a measure of sustainability, this second iteration of our TRAs for 2024 will be solar-powered. May solar panels po yan para naman reasonable in terms of maintenance,” she said.
Frasco said that aside from giving the convenience to tourists visiting Albay to see Mayon Volcano, they are hoping that the existence of a TRA will help preserve the destinations and give opportunities to communities.
She also that to ensure this, measures will be put in place for longevity of the TRAs including incentivizing LGUs through new tourism projects or financial rewards.
“So it’s a gift that keeps on giving,” she said.
