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NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Off the northern coast of Negros Island, a small island in Sagay City cradles a beautiful ecosystem where humans, mangroves, and wildlife thrive in harmony. It is a microcosm of what sustainable tourism could look like.
Suyac Island, a 15.6-hectare gem within the 32,000-hectare, 29-year-old Sagay Marine Reserve in Barangay Taba-ao, has earned another prestigious accolade: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ sustainable community-based tourism award, set to be presented in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on Monday, January 20.
The ASEAN recognition comes just two years after Suyac Island made waves internationally by earning a spot in the prestigious 100 Green Destinations at the International Tourism Fair in Berlin, Germany.
PURE NATURE. Flying foxes soar over the mangroves as two men kayak on Suyac Island in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. Sagay City Information.and Tourism OfficeKnown for its old mangroves and a growing colony of flying foxes, Suyac is a case study in what happens when a community prioritizes stewardship over short-term profits.
At the core of Suyac’s community-based sustainability work is a group of 44 islanders organized under the Suyac Island Eco-Tourist Attendants Association or SIETAAS. Their mission, since 2012, has been to protect the island’s natural resources while managing tourism with a “low volume, high value” policy.
That means they’re not about numbers, but about sustainability, Helen Arguelles-Cutillar, Sagay City’s information and tourism officer, said on Wednesday, January 15.
The policy caps visitors at 150 per day, a decision that Cutillar credits with maintaining the fragile equilibrium of the island’s ecosystem.
GUARDIANS. Members of the Suyac Island Eco-Tourist Attendants Association are primarily tasked with advocating for environmental protection to promote sustainable tourism on the island. Sagay City Information and Tourism OfficeOn the Negros Occidental island, plastic is banned. Tourists are instructed to keep their voices down to avoid disturbing the island’s 14,000 flying foxes, considered as threatened species by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Suyac, which is just three kilometers away by boat from the Sagay mainland, is one of two recognized bat sanctuaries in Negros Occidental, alongside the Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia.
Suyac also offers a variety of natural wonders, including blue crabs, seaweed, mackerel perfect for kinilaw (raw fish soaked in vinegar), and shellfish such as the highly-prized imbao (mangrove clam). Illegal fishing is a no-no in Suyac.
TRAIN. Young environmentalists of Suyac Island are trained at an early age to advocate for environmental protection in their island community. Sagay City Information and Tourism OfficeFor Sagay’s officials and the islanders, the measures are about ensuring Suyac’s future.
“That’s why, in addition to SIETAAS, we also have the Suyac Junior Eco-Patrol, composed of elementary students from Grades 3 to 6. Teaching them early to protect Suyac for their future is our noblest mission,” Cutillar said.
Natural fortress
Suyac’s mangroves are more than just a tourist attraction. When Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) tore through the Visayas in 2013, the island’s mangrove forest shielded homes from the worst of its fury. The 800 residents of Suyac then survived unscathed, something that local officials don’t consider coincidental – they said the mangroves absorbed Yolanda’s power, and saved lives.
Sagay’s officials are convinced that even the island’s bats played a role. As Yolanda approached, the bats’ frenzied exodus alerted residents, prompting early evacuations, they said.
The flying foxes have become part of the island community and, somehow, the creatures taught islanders to read nature’s signals.
UNDISTURBED. Flying foxes rest undisturbed in the trees on Suyac Island. Sagay City Information and Tourism Office“The mangroves and the bats are always the highlights of Suyac’s story in terms of environmental conservation and protection, vis-à-vis sustainable tourism practices worthy of being told and retold anywhere in the world,” said Cutillar.
Passing the torch
Conservation on Suyac is not just the work of adults. The Suyac Junior Eco-Patrol teaches children to care for their environment. Many alumni of the program have returned to the island as guides and educators, teaching the next generation of visitors and residents about the importance of mangroves and marine conservation.
The Suyac community’s commitment to its principles extends to its refusal to commercialize. Over the years, investors have approached the community with proposals for high-end resorts, only to be turned away.
According to Cutillar, the islanders have said no every time because they wanted to preserve the island’s natural beauty and their way of life.
For Sagay Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr., the ASEAN award is a validation of the local government’s approach and the community-based sustainability efforts in Suyac, and a proof that a small community can achieve something remarkable by staying true to its values.
When the eco-park was established, they knew it was going to be an uphill battle in that sustainability wasn’t an easy sell, according to Sagay Vice Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva.
“We embarked on a challenging path toward sustainability, and now we reap the rewards – not only this prestigious award but also the profound, positive impact on our precious mangrove forests and community,” Cueva said.
As dusk falls on Suyac Island, mangroves cast long shadows over the water while flying foxes take flight, their silhouettes merging with the twilight sky. It’s a quiet triumph for a community that has transformed the island into a symbol of hope and a model for sustainable tourism.
The residents have shown that progress doesn’t have to come at nature’s expense.
That is the story of Suyac. – Rappler.com
