Chapter VIII

ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIO-ECONOMIC/

CULTURAL IMPACTS and MITIGATION

A.ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND RECOMMENDATION

The process of predicting the likely environmental consequences of implementing projects or undertakings and designing appropriate preventive measures is one of the main concerns of this plan.

1.PREDICTED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT

The undesirable change in the physical, chemical and biological conditions of the environment can adversely affect human life, plants and animals.

Water, air and land are natural resources necessary to sustain life in this world, thus, environmental issue became the concern of both the government and the people due to adverse effects of pollution and other destructions of the limited or finite natural resources accompanying the benefits of the projects or activities meant to satisfy certain human wants and needs.

Some pollution is expected to occur during construction and operation phase but this will be minimal and temporary considering the location of the site for development where the infrastructure will be established. Table 8.1.

2.MITIGATING MEASURES ON THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE IMPACTS

To counteract the negative environmental impacts resulting from tourism development, mitigating measures should be formulated to prevent degradation of the environment. Table 8.2.

For man made disturbances that will cause environmental degradation, restoration of the site must be given priority to bring back the environment that serves as habitat to fauna assemblages.

Management and conservation of the area should be a community effort with the support of the local government units, and other concerned government agencies and institutions.

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4.ENVIRONMENTAL GUIDELINES

4.1Interested investors/eco-tourism operators are required to undergo a full-blown Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as prescribed in DENR Administrative Order No. 96-37.

4.2Notwithstanding DAO 96-37, all Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for projects and activities in Mt. Pinatubo shall be evaluated by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and ECC be issued only by the DENR Secretary.

4.3Development must address issues on carrying or assimilated capacity of the area as indicated in the EIA. It shall consider the following :

  • Availability of water
  • Spatial consideration
  • Biological capacity
  • Social capacity
  • Ecological threshold
  • Economic/environmentally sustainability

4.4After the eco-profile has been completed DENR shall meet with all of the affected Local Government Units (LGU) at the barangay, municipal and provincial levels, together with the other organized sectors and brief them on its technical findings.

B.Socio-economic/Cultural Impact of Tourism

Tourism produces both positive and negative socio-economic/cultural impacts. Wherever things happen in the world. they always occur on a local scale. Local tourism planning must fit within the context of national as well as overall community development. (Review on WTO Publication)

1.Socio-economic/cultural Impacts of Tourism Development

1.1Positive Impacts

1.1.1Generate economic livelihood and income for the community e.g. the Aeta of Zambales and Pampanga, whose skill for jungle survival was utilized by U.S. forces, is now a tourist attraction in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone;

1.1.2Enhance and contribute to social cohesion and cultural preservation;

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1.1.3Develop tourism on an environmentally sustainable basis;

1.1.4Indigenous people's involvement in the planning and implementation of tourism plans and projects

1.2Negative Impacts

1.2.1 Exposure of indigenous people to various foreign cultures that might cause alienation from their traditional culture and acquiring new traits that will make them less of what they were before;

1.2.2Parting with their treasured cultural artifacts in exchange for market commodities to outsiders;

1.2.3Alteration of the ethnicity of the traditional culture of indigenous peoples into a modern versions such as the traditional dances, rituals, clothings, religions;

1.3Mitigating Measures

1.3.1Strengthen and enhance the Cultural Tourism Program (CTP) initiated by the Local Government Units (LGUs) with the support of the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) and Department of Tourism (DOT), in the community.

1.3.2Revitalize the indigenous and authentic traditional versions of music and dances by conducting special training programmes.

1.3.3Establish Cultural Development Policy and Program for the local communities affected by tourism. This will provide lead government agencies to monitor the socio-cultural impacts of tourism and address possible issues and concerns.

2.Socio-Cultural Guidelines

Tourism development in Central Luzon where it pertains to the rights and welfare of the indigenous cultural communities should be guided with the Indigenous Peoples Right Act. or the IPRA Law (RA 8371). As stated in Chapter 4 Section E “Legal and Institutional Aspects” enumerates the pertinent sections/provisions of the IPRA Law that should be followed in pursuing any tourism undertaking.

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3. Full Participation of Women in Tourism development

In line with the Mt. Pinatubo vision of creating an ecotourism destination toward improved quality of life for the affected communities of the identified areas, it is but timely for the women of the indigenous areas to spearhead the monitoring of the socio-cultural (ecotourism) program for careful control of the environmental, social and economic impacts on the natural habitat. Likewise, women of the indigenous areas should be empowered and be involved in all phases of the decision -making process namely, pre planning, planning proper, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, in order to assist development planners assess the human and physical potentials of their local tourism.

The active participation of women through an interactive and comprehensive socio-cultural program should be Concept-led, Values-oriented and Community-based.

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