By William Agda
House Bill (HB) No. 11169, which seeks to declare the Congressman Edelmiro A. Amante Sr. Mapaso Resort and Adventure Nature Park in Santiago, Agusan del Norte, as an ecotourism zone, has been approved on its third and final reading in the House of Representatives.
Agusan del Norte 2nd District Representative Dale Corvera, who initially filed HB No. 8598 in July 2023, expressed gratitude for the bill’s passage during the House’s final plenary session for 2024. The measure was later substituted by HB No. 11169.
Corvera thanked his colleagues, particularly Romblon Representative Eleandro Jesus Madrona, chairperson of the House Committee on Tourism, for supporting the initiative.
The proposed legislation aims to preserve the resort and nature park, including its wildlife and natural resources, while promoting it as a prime tourist destination in the province. Comprehensive tourism development is also a key component of the measure.
The Mapaso Hot Spring Forest Reserve was originally established for watershed protection and timber production under Proclamation No. 422 issued by then-President Manuel Quezon in 1939.
In 1993, the municipality of Santiago passed an ordinance declaring the 50-hectare Mapaso Resort and Natural Park as a wildlife sanctuary. A subsequent ordinance in 2023 renamed the area as the Edelmiro A. Amante Sr. Mapaso Resort and Adventure Nature Park to honor the late congressman’s contributions to its development and promotion as a tourist destination.