The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines brought its latest tourism recovery initiative to Catanduanes from July 8 to 12, 2025, giving industry members a first-hand look at how community-based tourism efforts are helping the island province rebuild after last year’s severe storm.
The inspection tour, part of the TPB’s Destination Marketing Assistance for Tourism Recovery Program (DMATRP), combined site visits with corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities aimed at supporting local livelihoods and strengthening ties between tourism stakeholders and host communities.
Located in the Bicol region, Catanduanes has long experienced the effects of typhoons due to its position within the typhoon belt. Once referred to as The Land of the Howling Winds, the province is now informally known as a “Happy Island”, a name picked up from remarks by visiting tourists.
The DMATRP was developed to support tourism recovery efforts, promote volunteerism, and build community resilience following Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, which hit the island in 2024. Catanduanes is the second location for this initiative, following an earlier tour in Batanes held from May 19 to 23, 2025.
Over five days, 14 TPB members visited communities and tourism sites across Catanduanes. Upon arrival in Virac, the delegates were received by governor Patrick Azanza and provincial government tourism officer Carmel B Garcia, followed by a courtesy visit to the Provincial Tourism Office and museum.
CSR activities included the handover of school materials and an art therapy session for students at Talisoy Elementary School, protective gear for Virac’s agricultural division involved in sea turtle conservation, tourism site signage, and uniforms for community tour guides. Environmental efforts included root crop planting at the community garden of Summit View Park, tree planting at Binurong Point, and mangrove planting at Batalay Mangrove Ecopark.
The tour also included visits to Tuwad Tuwadan Lagoon, Cagnipa Rolling Hills, Puraran Beach, Bato Church, and Maribina Falls, as well as island-hopping to Patag Islet, Poseidon’s Rock, and Turtle Island. Participants observed a demonstration of latik preparation, a traditional rice cake from the province.
TPB members also attended a networking dinner with 21 private sector stakeholders from Catanduanes to discuss business opportunities in support of local recovery. Maria Salee O Mora, assistant director of the Department of Tourism – Regional Office V, and Garcia presented updates and product offerings from the region.
Since 2015, TPB has carried out 40 CSR programmes nationwide, maintaining its commitment to supporting local economies through community-based tourism, a focus continued during the visit to Catanduanes.
“This programme has become an avenue for tourism stakeholders to join our collaborative efforts towards resilient, sustainable tourism recovery,” said Marge San Jose, chief of TPB domestic promotions’ industry relations and services division.
“Catanduanes, truly the ‘Happy Island’, embodies a spirit of remarkable resilience among its people. We want to support this province in showcasing their island’s unparalleled beauty along with the stories that define the Catandunganons,” added TPB COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.
