Case Study:

Community-Based Ecotourism Activities in Donsol, Sorsogon: Seeing Ecotourism as a Conservation Tool Towards Sustainable Development

Serrano, Vinson P. Plan 201A

Personal photos of Vinson Serrano taken May 2010

University of the Philippines- Diliman School of Urban and Regional Planning

Donsol, Sorsogon

An Ecotourism Destination Donsol is a coastal town with a total land area of 152.99 sq. km. and is located at the northwestern part of the province of Sorsogon, which occupies the southern terminus of the Bicol Peninsula. Of the total land area, about 25.64 sq. km. comprises the built-up urban area and 15.68 sq. km. is devoted to agricultural purposes, and about 13.86 sq. km. is reserved for recreational and tourism purposes. Some 5.33 sq. km. of undifferentiated lands including waterways of are not fully developed.
Personal photos of Vinson Serrano taken May 2010

Donsol, Sorsogon

Google Earth Image taken May 2010

Donsol, Sorsogon

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

It is geographically located about 12 54' 26.896" north latitude and 123 36' 28.867" east longitude. It is 66 kilometers away from the City of Sorsogon and 51 kilometers away from the City of Legazpi in the province of Albay

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

A provincial road connects Donsol to the municipality of Pilar while provision for road network connecting Donsol to the two adjacent municipalities of Jovellar and Pioduran has been considered and included in the development plan of the municipality.

Donsol, Sorsogon

The settlement role of the municipality of Donsol under the Sorsogon Provincial Physical Frameworks Plan, Year 1993- 2002 is that of a small town. Its principal role therefore is as a Small Agri-Processing. Sitting on the northwestern part of Sorsogon Province, Donsol marks the provincial boundary on the northwest, adjoining the province of Albay. The

town has 51 barangays, 11 of which are situated in the coastal areas of the municipality.
With a population of 39,995,

population growth is relatively high, at an annual rate of 3.23%, higher than the national
average of

2.36%.

Donsol Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Local Government Unit of Donsol,Sorsogon. 07/17/2009. Community-Based Ecotourism and Coastal Resources Management Project in Donsol, Sorsogon. http://www.wwf.org.ph/about.php?pg=wwd&sub1=00011. 07/17/2009.

In January 1998, the sudden discovery of whale sharks or Butanding (Rhincodon Typus) along the shores of Donsol, Sorsogon in the Bicol region have turned a once-quiet town from an ill-equipped community into a potential ecotourism destination in the country. Such discovery brought an influx of tourists and unprecedented effects of the growing community development giving rise to several community development problems. Moreover, the concept of ecotourism is to be further established in the operations of the municipal planning development as it aims to become an effective tool for conservation towards sustainable development. In a span of five years, Donsol,

Sorsogon was transformed from a fifth class

municipality to third class due to the economic benefits and contribution of this activity. to ecotourism activities.

, there is no other place like Donsol, where the major school of whale sharks is found at a particular time. Such sighting proved that the bodies of water in
Inspite of the occurrence of whale sharks in other parts of the world Donsol are rich with the presence of phytoplanktons- microscopic species which are the main food of these gentle giants. From then on, the continuous relationship of the whale sharks and the shores of Donsol primarily gave more than enough opportunities to the locals and the neighboring towns to economically sustain their everyday living as well as to divert their livelihood means of fishing and farming to ecotourism activities.
Serrano, Vinson P. Aquatika: Whale Shark Exploration Center. University of Santo Tomas Undergraduate Thesis. Espana,Manila. 03/2010. Community-Based Ecotourism and Coastal Resources Management Project in Donsol, Sorsogon. http://www.wwf.org.ph/about.php?pg=wwd&sub1=00011. 07/17/2009.

Whale Shark Watching: Response

to Threats

Whale Shark Conference in Perth, Australia in May 2005

scientific experts and representatives from non-government organizations, intergovernmental organizations, and

the tourism industry from 23 countries

agreed that ecotourism, when appropriate, is the obvious

answer to reverse the effects of extractive uses of this magnificent creature.

Whale shark ecotourism has flourished in many

parts of the world, including Mexico,

Belize,

and the Seychelles, as a sustainable and

equitable community-based venture.

Community-Based Ecotourism and Coastal Resources Management Project in Donsol, Sorsogon. http://www.wwf.org.ph/about.php?pg=wwd&sub1=00011. 07/17/2009.

Objectives of the Study

Assess the on-going

activities and future plans of development of Donsol, Sorsogon in line with their main ecotourism

activity- the whale

shark interaction.

Furthermore, it is aimed to assess impacts of development on the locality and how

ecotourism is aimed to become a tool for conservation towards sustainable development.

Its objective is to look on the aspect of sustainable development that

environmental, experiential, sociocultural, and economic dimensions of

will incorporate

every step of development in the municipality.

Definition : Ecotourism
According to The Australian National Ecotourism,

and Carrying Capacity

Ecotourism is defined as nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable.
On the other hand, The International Ecotourism Society defines

Ecotourism as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people.
carrying capacity is a measure of the amount of human activity that a site can biophysically sustain without severely changing its ecology. It aims to establish the limits of tourism development in a particular
According to Halpenny (2002), towards the general concept of sustainability.
Halpenny,E. Marine Ecotourism: Impacts, International Guidelines, and Best Practices Case Studies. The International Ecotourism Society. Burlington VT. 2002. M.E.Wood. Ecotourism: Principles, Practices, and Policies.United Nations Environment Programme. UN Publication. 2002. Lindberg, K. et.al. Ecotourism in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Outlook. The International Ecotourism Society. 01/1998.

Donsol :

Tourism Activities

To assess the ecotourism activities of Donsol, Sorsogon and its implications on urban development, provided below is the list of annual activities of the municipality. A. Peak Season B. Off-Peak Season

Butanding Arribada Festival Whale Shark Interaction

C. Daily Activity Snorkeling Boating Scuba Diving

Firefly Watching Manta Ray Diving The Grotto Catundulan Tuba Falls The Astilleros Site Tankulan Mangrove Ecopark

Donsols Tourist Attractions. http://www.nscb.gov.ph/ru5/overview/profiles/donsol/tourism.htm. 08/31/2009.

Donsol: Establishment

of Carrying Capacity

Inventory environment Maintain an inventory of all resources Experts Evaluation Identify all cultural and natural resources Evaluate available water and power resources Identify the specific kinds and levels of use Identify level of service proposed Estimate the maximum number of estimate effect of climatic conditions Evaluate the extent of buildings, landscaping and equipment

Halpenny,E. Marine Ecotourism: Impacts, International Guidelines, and Best Practices Case Studies. The International Ecotourism Society. Burlington VT. 2002. M.E.Wood. Ecotourism: Principles, Practices, and Policies.United Nations Environment Programme. UN Publication. 2002. Lindberg, K. et.al. Ecotourism in the Asia-Pacific Region: Issues and Outlook. The International Ecotourism Society. 01/1998.

Conversion of agricultural lands to tourism related use

Sporadic development on road networks brought by linear development

Receding coastline resulted

by climate change and human intervention

Poor waste management on coastal barangays

Sieve Map Analysis

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

No provision of disaster risk related facilties

Urban fabric with no distinct

point affecting site

permeability and legibility Less provision of communal spaces and facilities such as parks and public recreation center

Base, General Land Use, Tourism and Transportation Facilities Map

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

Rapid development of

accommodation facilities (of various levels) along coastal barangays with improper provisions on setbacks Poor infrastructure

development (roads and

bridges)
High density of human

settlements in the Poblacion Area

Sieve Map Analysis

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

Poor sanitation and waste management

Lack of protective services facilities thus pose threat of

terrorism
Docking facilities with no provision of regulation and waste disposal contributes to

Base, General Land Use, Tourism and Transportation Facilities Map

the environmental degradation

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

Tourism Facilities Map

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

Transportation Facilities Map

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

Donsol: Ecotourism

as Conservation Tool Towards Sustainable Development

In view of ecotourism as a conservation tool towards sustainable

community stakeholders played a vital role in the development of ecotourism activities and on furthering tourism value of the site through educational infiltration. Based on their set of annual activities, Donsol has a
rotational operation to sustain the tourism sector that resulted to drastic positive effects on economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects.

development, Donsol

Proposed General Land Use Map

Municipality of Donsol, Sorsogon

Source: BSWM- Donsol CLUP

Donsol: Ecotourism

as Conservation Tool Towards Sustainable Development

The good transition of responsibilities- from accommodation, small-medium industries supporting tourism, and other interconnected industries have harmoniously organized a circumventing proportionality of symbiosis- that each
and every industry supports one another and reduce the negative impacts of overlapping activity. Thus, this has made Donsol as a good model of ecotourism center in the Philippines, if not in the global perspective.

Donsol Ecotourism : Urban

Development Implications: Current Scenario and Recommendations

Donsols urban fabric

has been observed to develop on the idea of linear On the physical aspect, building

development

regulations and standards on setbacks were not strictly observed

thus needing an institutional revamp on the particular issue.

Integration of added protective services may address

the growing threat of terrorism and crime incidence by opposing militant groups on the area.

Donsol Ecotourism : Urban

Development Implications: Current Scenario and Recommendations

As site permeability is concerned- the ability of people to access the municipality in respect to proper urban form legibility, there are only only two ways to access the current location of the visitor center from inland towns and cities- either by water or land access.

In line with this, the proponents recommendation regarding the location of

the visitor

center should be relocated due to the

overlapping developments on the Poblacion area. This has resulted to various problems of transporation, security, health and sanitation, and posses a bigger threat on environmental degradation. Environment support facilities should be integrated on coast lines that will be strengthened through policies or guidelines on accommodation facilities. A provision of a central utilities system may also be provided, to secure environmental protection on the sensitive typology of the municipality.

Donsol Ecotourism : Urban

Development Implications: Current Scenario and Recommendations

Other tourism spots and attractions shown on the Municipal Tourism Map should be explored and be strengthened to
redirect human settlements from rising within the barangay boundaries of Poblacion area.

Development of open parks and spaces within the

municipality could open up opportunities for the small scale to medium scale industries.

Donsol Ecotourism : Urban

Development Implications: Current Scenario and Recommendations

Disaster Risk Management Plan to prepare the

municipality in times of unwanted events that should be envisioned to maintain good support on the tourism and livelihood of the municipality.

As the municipality is still predominant of agricultural lands, the

maximization of brownfield development should be

taken into consideration so as to secure food security and mainstream income for Donsol in case of the absence of tourism influx.

FIN