DOT: $45M agreement with WB for Bohol tourism dev’t to be signed in Q1 2021

The government is now looking at signing a $45-million agreement with the World Bank to finance the development of Bohol by March next year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday.

According to Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Bohol is one of the first three sites to be developed under the TouRIST Program, which seeks to promote "Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Tourism."

"The World Bank will finance the Bohol site with $45 million which will go to building infrastructure," she said in a virtual briefing.

Among the projects that will be funded by the planned agreement are those for bulk water supply; solid waste management; local economic development like the Palengke Program; tourism site enhancement and management; and disaster risk management support for hygiene preparedness.

"We expect this agreement with the World Bank to be signed by first quarter of 2021. Consider this as an injection that will supercharge Bohol's recovery by upgrading essential services, providing more jobs and better preparing the province for unforeseen disasters," said Puyat.

The DOT last year already named Bohol, Siargao, Siquijor, Davao City, and Samal Island as the targeted destinations for the TouRIST program, with cumulative financing of $300 million.

"Bohol has been identified as one of the first three sites to be developed for the project's Phase One Implementation," said Puyat.

"It was chosen for its rapid increase in demand, rich heritage cultural sites and biodiversity, and the need for its infrastructure to catch up with development and to ensure that development is sustainable," she elaborated. — BM, GMA News