COATABATO CITY –— The local government unit of Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte is pushing to position their town for tourism development, a move to put their town in the tourism circuit.
From a town that saw so much conflict, the move aims to erase the painful realities of the past to a brighter tourism-driven future where tourists are safe in exploring Matanog. The town started the move with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Marayag Eco-Tourism and Development Project on March 22.
“We want to transform Matanog town from terrorism to tourism,” said Mayor Zohria Bansil Guro during the ceremony.
Sitio Marayag is a historic place for the Bangsamoro as it served as the perimeter defense of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the 2000 all-out war that left out Matanog in the Mindanao development process.
Being the gateway of the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province, the local leaders wish to transform the promising area into an eco-tourism hub of the Bangsamoro Region that will provide economic livelihood for the people.
Matanog Mayor Zohria Bansil Guro said that they would change the image of Matanog from a sleepy to a bustling town and make it the center of Eco-Tourism in the Province, providing job opportunities for the residents.
Brig. Gen. Eric Macaambac, 1st Marine Brigade Commander, said if they used to drop bombs in that area, now they will invest in the program and development to see the town’s new image and away from the chaos.
The inauguration and signing of the project in collaboration with the 549th Army Engineering Battalion, 1st Marine Brigade, Mindanao State University-Maguindanao Campus, and the Matanog municipal police station.
