BusinessWorld Weekender: Travel

Cagayan de Oro City — The One-Town, One- Product (Otop) identified for this capital city of Northern Mindanao has just gotten a shot in the arm with the White Water Rafters Lounge which is set to open at the SM Cagayan de Oro.

The RP Team from Cagayan de Oro competed in the Downriver Race at the recently concluded World Rafting Championships 2007 held at the Inchieron River, Inje, South Korea. — Photos courtesy of WRC 2007

"We are supporting Cagayan de Oro’s unique Otop with this facility which we will be providing free of charge to the industry," said Bienvenido Paul C. Ferrer III, SM City Cagayan de Oro Mall Manager.

"Besides the air-conditioned facility which will be free for the use of all white water rafters, we are also making available for them adjacent comfort rooms which we usually open only for big events."

SM City Cagayan de Oro is the nearest mall to the white water rafting jump-off point in Barangay Kabula, a mere five kilometers away from the mall. At present, most outfitters use Plaza Divisoria in downtown CDO or Limketkai Center in Lapasan as their gathering place. Both are approximately 14 kilometers away from Bgy. Kabula.

Besides the convenience of starting off nearer the white waters, the SM White Water Lounge will also make available to interested entrepreneurs "wall shops" where they can sell white water rafters frequently used (and forgotten) items needed for river rafting such as sunblock, strap-on sandals, shirts, shorts and batteries for cameras and videocams.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in consultation with the local government of Cagayan de Oro recently identified white water rafting as the city’s unique Otop.

Started over 12 years ago by members of the Northern Mindanao Mountaineering Society (now the NORMMS Ecological Foundation, Inc.), it is the Philippines’ first and only year-round river rafting course and is a mere 40-minute jeepney ride from the former jump off point in downtown Plaza Divisoria.

In 2001, the Cagayan de Oro Whitewater Rafting Adventure, Inc. became the first commercial white water rafting operator in the Philippines. There are other white water operators in Cagayan Valley and Davao but these do not offer year-round operations.

There are now six white water "outfitters" serving the basic and advanced Cagayan River white water "runs."

All six players offer two types of runs. The beginners or amateur course runs 12.9 kms. with 14 Class 2-3 rapids and lasts 3.5 hrs. (including side trips). The advanced or expert course is 18.6 kms. long with 22 Class 2-4 rapids which can take as long as five hours to traverse.

The industry’s river guides have to undergo and pass a grueling training program which includes first aid and basic life support and CPR under the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC); river running for 2.5 months with a certified trainor from the International Rafting Federation (IRF); Mabuhay Host/Frontline Servicing under the Dept. of Tourism Region 10; and Cagayan de Oro Historical Walkthroughs with the city tourism and historical commission.

A team composed of local IRF-qualified river guides recently competed for the first time ever in the World Rafting Championship 2007 held in Inje, South Korea. Although they did not win, they held their own against much bigger and veteran opponents from European, American and Asian countries.

DTI adopted the Otop in 2004 from Japan’s highly successful One Village One Product (Ovop) started in 1979 at the Oita prefecture (or province).

Ovop helped people from a particular place develop a product or service unique to their area into global standards with a wider market.

Its main advocate, Oita Gov. Morihiko Hiramatsu was awarded the 1995 Ramon Magsaysay Award for his advocacy in helping Asian communities develop their human resources through self-reliance and creativity.

In the Philippines, over 1,200 Otop enterprises have already been identified, among them the sinamay cloth of Lagonglong, goat’s milk of Naawan and coconut sugar of Balingasag — all in Misamis Oriental.

Travel

White water rafters’ lounge boosts

CDO’s one-town, one-product project

Travel

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Travel

White water rafters’ lounge boosts

CDO’s one-town, one-product project