Tourism has long been a mainstay of Los Baños, Laguna for decades, partly due to its proximity to Mount Makiling and the hot springs that had earned the town its name.
For the new administration of Mayor Neil Andrew Nocon, however, Los Baños has more to offer than simply its natural beauty.
Taking the cue from other successful tourism campaigns in Laguna province, Nocon is now pursuing “heritage tourism” as his main focus in enticing local and foreign visitors to the town.
"Isa po sa mga prayoridad natin sa unang 100 araw ng aking termino ang pagususlong ng 'Heritage Walk,' bilang bahagi ng pagre-revive ng ating Old Poblacion area," Nocon said in an exclusive interview with OpinYon Laguna last August 13.
Heritage Walk
The “Lakbay Los Baños – Heritage Walk” is a program that was recently launched by the Los Baños Tourism Council, as part of measures to revive the city’s historical sites.
According to the council, the “Heritage Walk” aims to showcase the rich history of the town of Los Baños, whose natural beauty has enticed visitors since the time of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.
Nocon added that the local government has included an initial 14 historical sites in the town for the activity.
These sites include the old Philippine National Railways (PNR) station, which was originally built in 1910; the founding site of the University of the Philippines – Los Baños campus, one of the first and largest educational institutions in Laguna province; and the old house of Paciano Rizal, the only brother of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal.
Nocon also unveiled plans to revive the area around the old Los Baños Municipal Hall and public market area as a heritage site, akin to those found in Intramuros, Manila or in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
“May soft launch na po tayo for this program, and we are now training our tour guides,” the local executive bared.
‘Lakbay Laguna’ initiative
During the interview, Nocon pointed out that this new approach of the local government of Los Baños to tourism is also in line with the “Lakbay Laguna” tourism initiative of Laguna Governor Sol Aragones.
The "Lakbay Laguna" initiative aims to shine a spotlight on the province’s diverse cultural heritage, historical landmarks, and natural wonders, with the aim of integrating historical education with tourism development.
According to the governor, this shift in tourism focus will “help nurture a deep sense of local pride and identity, and encourage future generations to become ambassadors of the province’s heritage.”
Getting (and keeping) tourists
Given the fact that Los Baños was long known throughout history for its hot springs and other natural wonders, Nocon has acknowledged that one challenge for his new tourism campaign is how to encourage tourists to “extend their stay” in Los Baños.
Aside from promoting Los Baños’ historical sites, Nocon also bared plans to improve the town market (another historical site, built in 1920) and other popular destinations in the town such as the Dampalit waterfalls.
“With this new tourism destination, we hope we can encourage visitors to extend their stay for one to three days. Ang principle po kasi namin dito is, basta may turista, may kita,” he stressed.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #HeritageTourism