BY ARDY ARANETA-BATOY
Bohol Island has been officially designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark, making it
the first in the Philippines to receive the prestigious recognition and marking a
decade of hardwork from two previous provincial administrations from 2013 to 2022.
The announcement was made during the 216th Executive Board Session of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris,
France on May 24, 2023.
A UNESCO Global Geopark is a region that has been recognized for its outstanding
geological and geomorphological heritage.
These sites are of international significance and are managed in a way that protects
their natural and cultural resources.
Bohol Island is home to a wide variety of geological features, including the famous
Chocolate Hills, the Hinagdanan Cave, and the Loboc River, according to UNESCO
in a news release.
The island also has a rich cultural heritage, including the pre-Hispanic ruins of the
Bohol Tarsier Sanctuary, UNESCO said.
The designation of Bohol Island as a UNESCO Global Geopark is a major
achievement for the Philippines, UNESCO said.
It will help to promote the island’s unique geological and cultural heritage to the
world, and it is expected to boost tourism and economic development in the region,
UNESCO stressed.
The Provincial Government of Bohol is the core management institution of the Bohol
Island Geopark, according to a statement posted by the Bohol Capitol.
The government has worked closely with local communities, businesses, and other
stakeholders to develop the geopark and to ensure that it is managed in a
sustainable way, said Gov. Aris Aumentado in a separate press statement.
The designation of Bohol Island as a UNESCO Global Geopark is a significant
milestone for the Philippines, said Bohol First District Rep. Edgar M. Chatto who in
2013 as the governor of Bohol started the efforts to achieve this milestone.
In 2019, then Bohol Governor Art C. Yap took the task of continuing what Chatto had
started by cooperating with UNESCO and satisfying the demands and requirements
of a geopark global status.
It is a recognition of the island’s unique geological and cultural heritage, and it is a
testament to the hard work and dedication of the people of Bohol, said Chatto and
Yap in a social media post.
Benefits of being a UNESCO Global Geopark
There are many benefits to being a UNESCO Global Geopark. These include:
Increased tourism: Geoparks are popular tourist destinations, and the designation
can help to boost tourism in the region.
Economic development: Geoparks can help to promote economic development in
the region by attracting investment and creating jobs.
Conservation: Geoparks are committed to the conservation of their natural and
cultural heritage. The designation can help to raise awareness of the importance of
conservation and to attract funding for conservation projects.
Education: Geoparks are important educational resources. They can help people to
learn about the geology, geography, and history of the region.
Sustainable development: Geoparks are committed to sustainable development.
They work to balance the needs of conservation, tourism, and economic
development.
The future of Bohol Island Geopark
The designation of Bohol Island as a UNESCO Global Geopark is a major milestone,
but it is just the beginning, Chatto said.
The government and the people of Bohol are committed to working together to
manage the geopark in a sustainable way and to ensure that it benefits future
generations, added Chatto.
For Atty. Art Yap, also an economist, he said the geopark has the potential to be a
major economic driver for the region.
It can attract tourists from all over the world and it can create jobs in the tourism,
hospitality, and education sectors, Yap said.
The geopark can also help to promote conservation and sustainable development in
the region, the former governor noted.
“The future of Bohol Island Geopark is bright. With the support of the government
and the people of Bohol, the geopark has the potential to become a model for
sustainable development and a major tourist destination,” Chatto reechoed Yap’s
vision.
In the same statement, Cong. Chatto, who was governor of Bohol when the island
was nominated for UNESCO recognition, said that the designation is “an important
step towards the realization of the province’s vision to be a prime eco-cultural
tourism destination.”
He thanked the UP SURP experts, the UNESCO and Global Geoparks Network, and
the Provincial Government of Bohol for their work in making the designation
possible.
“As a UNESCO Global Geopark, we now stand with the rest of geoparks in the world
and with UNESCO as a tourism destination and as an environment and geologically
protected area, the first and only one in the country at that,” Chatto said.
Chatto said the UP SURP experts, the UNESCO and Global Geoparks Network as
well as the Provincial Government through the Bohol Provincial Environment
Management Office (BPEMO) along with partner agencies and organizations for
carrying through the task of identifying geosites, complying with requirements, and
holding information campaigns.
FRUITS OF LABOR
In 2019 Miss Universe Philippines‘ Ambassador for Tourism, Pauline Cucharo
Amelinckx, had expressed her support for Bohol Island Geopark’s bid in becoming a
UNESCO Global Geopark. Amelinckx, together with Fr. Val Pinlac, Chairman of
Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council, and the rest of the team, visited some of
the primary geosites of Bohol namely, the Lamanok Island in Anda, the Alicia Schist
and the Princess Manan-aw Cave in Alicia.
Bohol Island Geopark was one of the priority projects of the Provincial Government
of Bohol under the administration of Gov. Art Yap and Vice Gov. Rene Lopez
Relampagos, according to a 2019 press release of the Bohol provincial government.
A DECADE OF ASPIRATIONS
The Bohol Island Aspiring Geopark is on a good track towards becoming the
Philippines’ first UNESCO Global Geopark after the Global Geoparks Network
Council proposed to forward its nomination to the UNESCO Executive Board, for
their endorsement in the second quarter of 2023.
The deliberation of the Council members took place in Satun UNESCO Global
Geopark in Thailand on 04-05 September 2022 in the presence of more than 73
observers and representatives of more than 20 Member States joining either face-to-
face or via Zoom.
In retrospect, Kristin Rangnes and Alessia Amorfini, two evaluators assigned by the
Global Geoparks Bureau came to Bohol in July 2019 for a field mission to assess the
readiness of Bohol to become a UNESCO Global Geopark following its submission
of a comprehensive application dossier to UNESCO in 2018.
However, the UGGN Council decided to defer Bohol’s application for a maximum of
two years after examining the application documents and related evaluation reports.
The decision was later endorsed by the UNESCO Executive Board in 2020
encouraging the aspiring Geopark to improve some of its functions and operations.
Some of the recommendations highlighted were a clear map of the geopark including
its maritime parts, evidence of visibility implementation, improvement in management
structure and process, and active engagement of indigenous people and local
communities, among others.
The geopark team submitted a progress report to UNESCO on 07 July 2022
containing all the activities and documents needed to comply with the Council’s
recommendations. This report was carefully reviewed and discussed during the most
recent GGN Council meeting that resulted in a favorable decision for Bohol. The
report is available in the publication section.
The island province of Bohol has been the first and yet the only aspiring geopark
from the Philippines to formally apply for this UNESCO designation since 2019
through the initiatives of volunteer technical advisers from the University of the
Philippines School of Urban and Regional Planning and the University of Hamburg in
Germany.