LAOAG CITY – The Ilocos Norte government plans to revive the old grandeur of an 18-hole golf course built along the legendary Paoay Lake in Suba village, Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP or Provincial Board) unanimously approved on Monday a resolution strongly requesting the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), through its Chief Operating Officer Pocholo Paragas to rehabilitate and develop the Paoay Golf Course.
According to Provincial Board Member Ramon Gaoat, who is one of the resolution sponsors, the Paoay Golf Course used to host a number of golf players, particularly Korean, Japan and Chinese nationals, but it has waned when chartered flights to he Laoag International Airport temporary stopped.
To attract more tourists and investors, Gaoat said there is a need to further develop tourism infrastructure and create more jobs for the locals.
The provincial government also bared plans to lease the abandoned Paoay Golf Course to interested stakeholders who may be willing to invest on its improvement.
Gaoat said talks are underway with some Korean investors for the establishment of a Golf Academy in Suba village.
Once restored, Gaoat said, the Paoay Golf Course will further boost the tourism industry in Paoay town with the increasing number of local and domestic tourists visiting the province all year round.
During the Holy Week, the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office recorded about 500,000 tourists in the province and the number is likely to double in the holidays.
Among the top 10 destinations in Ilocos Norte include the UNESCO-World Heritage Site of St. Augustine Church in Paoay, the towering windmills of Bangui, the Blue Lagoon in Pagudpud, the Kapurpurawan White Rocks Formation and Cape Bojeador in Burgos, La Milagrosa Cove and gateway in Badoc, the Marcos Heritage Trail, the Davila seafood area in Pasuquin, the Batac riverside empanada, and the Immaculate Concepcion Parish in Batac, Ilocos Norte.
Other alternative destinations are likewise being developed in each town and city of the province to encourage visitors to come back and ensure steady flow of tourists in this northern gateway of Luzon. (Leilanie Adriano/PNA)
