“Tulay sa Tibo” in Gubat, Sorsogon, a tourist destination reopens

GUBAT, Sorsogon – Mayor Sharon Rose G. Escoto and Vice-Mayor Sixto Estareja, with local officials, facilitated the re-opening and blessing of the “Tulay sa Tibo” – a walkway within the mangrove area in Brgy. Panganiban intended to become a major local tourism attraction on February 1, 2022.

Inside the mangrove area, visitors can walk alongside the thick mangrove forest that also features three watchtowers where one can have a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the mangrove forest, and the coastal waters of Gubat with Mt. Bulusan in sight.

Both local executives congratulated the officials of Brgy. Panganiban and Gubat, Inc., the organization that will manage the “Tulay sa Tibo”.

It can be recalled that the “Tulay sa Tibo” was destroyed by typhoon Tisoy in 2019. Through LGU Gubat intervention, its rehabilitation was finished in 2021.

In her message, Mayor Escoto emphasized that, “Sa intero na kabataan na parte sini na re-opening san Tulay sa Tibo, tulay ini san pag-asa na maiangat nato an turismo. An awareness, an pag-mantiner san ato environment, nan ekonomiya. Diri lang ini sa turismo, pirmi ka-partner suon an pag-alaga sin ato environment. Very active an ato council nan mga kabataan. Na-reyalisar ini dahil kaupod an academe na matukduan an ato mga kabataan. Thank you man sa partisipasyon san ato DepEd.”

The Mayor also said that, “Aram ko daghan pa an mga kaipuhan himuon. An mga pag-build sin opisina nan banyo. But first, we have to rebuild the Tulay sa Tibo. At this point, sabi baga ipasa an pag-asa. Kaya ngani yaa si Sir Noli Mercader para ma-replicate an istorya sin Lola Sayong. Maiimod ta baga na daghanon na an nadadanunan nira. Nagsanga na sira, from surfing, nag-farm tourism na sira. Daghan na an danunan na mga iba pa na organizations. Gubat, Inc. will mentor sa pag-manehar sini na Tulay sa Tibo. Siguro later, ipapasa man sin Tulay sa Tibo sa iba na barangay an knowledge nira sa economic enterprise. Ipauswag nato an ekonomiya sa palibot san Gubat. Kayang kaya nato ini.”

For his part, Vice Mayor Estareja reminded the local officials and the Tulay sa Tibo management that “Dapat may disiplina an nagkakapot sini na proyekto, dapat may transparensiya sin kwarta. Kun nawawara yun, nawawara man an proyekto.”

Also present in the activity were members of the Sangguniang Bayan, the Gubat Municipal Environmental and Natural Resource Office, the Municipal Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office, Bureau of Fire Protection, Gubat Municipal Police Station, representatives from DepEd, women’s group, Sangguniang Kabataan, senior citizens, and personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Immediately after the re-opening ceremony, the group conducted a mangrove planting activity.

“Salamat man sa mahiguson ta na tourism officer, Sir Patrick Erestain, na mareyalisar an ato vision sa Gubat na ‘a center of trade and industry, agro and ecotourism, and quality education’.”, Mayor Escoto said.