The Department of Tourism (DOT) spearheaded a groundbreaking ceremony for the Silago Ridge to Reef Eco-Experience Project (SIRREEP) in the Province of Southern Leyte. 

The event on June 17, 2025 saw the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in the Municipality of  Silago, paving the way for the creation of an eco-heritage museum and center.                                                

According to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Eastern Visayas, the project “aims to promote tourism, preserve cultural and natural heritage and stimulate economic growth in Silago.”

The report pointed out that the project echoes the Marcos administration’s commitment to “share tourism governance with the local government units (LGUs).”

DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, together with Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Assistant Chief Operating Officer Gregory Oller, DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado, and Silago Mayor Lemuel Honor led the groundbreaking of the SIRREEP project and the MOA signing.

“Once implemented, the largest sperm whale skeleton with an impressive length of 52 feet will finally find its home after the artifact was preserved for 25 long years in the said municipality,” the report cited.

Further, it is expected that Silago would “become one of the sought-after tourist destinations in the region.”

Silago is one of 15 LGUs in the country to have won the Tourism Champions Challenge in April 2025. 

(Courtesy: PIA Eastern Visayas)