I was invited for coffee at a posh hotel in Iloilo by a group of tourists, where one of them offered me a drink. This group happened to be frequent leisure travelers to the Western Visayas.
The Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia came up in conversation, with a Davao industrialist noting: “That destination is a worthwhile destination though it [would be] better [if it were] managed professionally by the private sector and not by government units. It [provides] a big advantage since there is the idea of innovative direction when private minds work on projects; if local government [is in charge], the people appointed are at [the] mercy of the local political leaders [that] appointed them.”
The others agreed.
“We love to visit The Ruins,” said a visitor from Aklan. “We were told it is run by private owners—a certain Mr. Javellana—he does well with the way the operation is done and we enjoy the style [by] the guide bringing us around; [it is] the way to make tourists happy.”
A doctor from Surigao City made note of the beaches at Sipalay City, where he says resort owners seem to work for themselves and do not try to complement other nearby establishments.
“They should [band] together so that tourists keep coming back and do not hear sounds of indifference from some resort operators” he said.
“Sipalay City is a dive site but it is not included in one of the dive magazines we read,” the doctor added.
The group’s tour guide brought up the Campuestohan Highland Resort, calling it a wholesome family destination but it’s crowded.
“There is just too much to see [but] moving about is not as comfy,” they noted. “But the place is loved by children and teens.”
The tour guide continued: “We brought a group to visit that Buenos Aires in Bago City—up the mountains. Our tourists loved the spring water in the pool [but] it was the toilet facilities of the resort that turned them off. We asked who owns the resort and residents said the resort is managed by the local government. They did not wonder [about the] state of the toilets [afterwards].”
The doctor then discussed the Balsa River Cruise, a new tourist attraction in Ilog.
“It was a pleasant experience,” they described. “Clean, comfortable, good food, and satisfying.”
“There is care [for] their tourists,” the doctor added. “We [would] recommend that Balsa cruise.”
Based on their observations, a private entrepreneurial mind truly makes a difference. Government supervision has a lot of limitations and decisions have to come from elected officials. What if they are not tourism and travel-oriented?
The aggressiveness of private management is constant while government personnel are only focused when they are on duty. It is best to seek innovation from people who have the passion for travel and tourism in order to provide ideal hospitable care for tourists, both local and foreign.

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This column greets Karen Dinsay, Nonong Verdeflor, Gino Jimenez, Jerry Sy, Rodel Parcon, Evelyn Ong, Francis Redil Villanueva, Alfonso Atayde, Manolet Lamata, Mikey Benedicto, Felipe Garcia, Riri Abellana, Jez Jordan, and Richard Oquendo/WDJ