ZAMBOANGA CITY—A councilor from this city’s First District is looking at advancing local tourism by developing prospective destinations suited for agri and ecotourism.

Councilor Rogelio Valesco said Zamboanga City, with its 98 barangays, is gifted with many natural sites waiting to be developed and can help boost this city’s promising image as a tourism destination in Western Mindanao.

Valesco identified the areas that have the potential to become agri and ecotourism sites of Zamboanga City as the agri farm in sitio Buenagatas, Boalan, the caves in the barangays of Cabaluay, Lamisahan, Quiniput and Salaan, Bog Lake in San Roque, the Merloquet Falls in Sibulao and the scenic Monte Santo in Lumayang.

Valesco, who chairs the city council’s committee on tourism, said there will be an influx of domestic and foreign tourists who are nature lovers once all agri and ecotourism potential sites are developed.

He said it could improve the lives of residents since they could be employed as tour guides in their respective localities.

He said it will also open other business opportunities to the residents like selling souvenir items that depict their respective places.

He said Zamboanga City will prosper in terms of tourism if the government will inculcate in the minds of the people, especially the farmers, the important of agriculture in tourism setting.

He said Zamboanga City has vast and unutilized lands that are conducive to planting vegetables and fruit-bearing trees.

He said the local government should take the lead in the advocacy for people to go into farming and engage in ecological initiatives as another means of livelihood.