Basilan has promoted Lampinigan Island as an ecotourism destination

 Basilan has promoted Lampinigan Island as an ecotourism destination. 

On Thursday, Basilan Lone District Representative and deputy minority leader Mujiv Hataman campaigned for the ratification of a measure designating Lampinigan Island as a part of Isabela City, Basilan's ecotourism zone.

According to Hataman, the increasing number of tourists visiting Lampinigan demonstrates the island's enormous potential as an ecotourism destination. The island is known as "one of the jewels."

He asserted that when House Bill (HB) 7159 is passed into law, the region's development will go more quickly and the province's tourism sector will grow.

In introducing House 7159, also known as the "Lampinigan Ecotourism Site Act," Hataman claimed that the province of Basilan had a large number of tourist destinations that require government assistance to develop.

In order to help Basilan become the next must-visit tourist destination in the Philippines, Hataman, who was also the former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, previously filed a separate bill known as HB 6293, or the "Malamawi Ecotourism Zone Act," to designate Malamawi Island, another one of the province's hidden gems, as an ecotourism zone.

He asserted that as tourism definitely increases, the government must prepare Lampinigan and Malamawi's infrastructure to handle the flood of travelers while preserving the islands' natural beauty.

According to Bill 7159, Isabela City's Lampinigan is a popular tourist destination that receives tens of thousands of local and international visitors each year. The island is reputed to have some of the nicest white beaches in the nation, on par with more well-known ones like Boracay Island.

The law requires the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and other relevant government organizations to give Lampinigan Island first priority for preservation and development.

The DOT, DENR, Isabela City local government, the District Representative of the Lone District of Basilan, and other concerned government agencies and civil society organizations shall formulate the Lampinigan Ecotourism Development Plan (LEDP) within one year of the passage of this Act, which calls for the building, setting up, and maintaining suitable facilities and infrastructure to promote tourism on Lampinigan Island.

The law also calls for the creation of a Lampinigan Ecotourism Board, which will be co-chaired by DOT and DENR representatives and be headed by the mayor of Isabela City. The representative of Basilan's sole district, the city's tourism officer and natural resources officer, as well as delegates.