17/10/2024
Sipalay City has once again secured a spot in the prestigious Top 100 Green Destinations Stories list, an international platform that celebrates the most inspirational initiatives for sustainable tourism development.
The announcement was made during the unveiling ceremony held online by Green Destinations on Tuesday, October 15.
Sipalay City's compelling story showcasing the Sipalay Green BEaCH Project (Green Belt Eco Park and Critical Habitat ), titled "Turning Environmental Risks into Green Wins," earned its place on the list this year, specifically in the Environment and Climate Category.
In 2024, our story showcases how the introduction of climate-positive tourism significantly contributed to Sipalay City's economic recovery and community empowerment. The story features how a coastal community-led tree planting activity started 19 years ago evolved into an 18-hectare urban ecotourism greenbelt that safeguarded 35,385 residents from the wrath of Super Typhoon Rai (Odette), the strongest typhoon in Sipalay City’s history. The initiative, Sipalay Green BEaCH (Green Belt Eco Park and Critical Habitat), formalized in 2020 has been flourishing over the years. This project has transformed into an urban greenbelt zone, providing a community eco-park for residents, a sustainable
livelihood through ecotourism, and a sanctuary for endangered marine turtles and local and migratory birds.
Last year, Sipalay's entry, "Lakbayon (Steps) - Women Steps Toward Sustainability," ranked 2nd in its category with hundreds of other entries from all over the world. It is also the only entry from the Philippines that made it to the Top 3 for the 6 categories of the Top 100 Stories.
We would like to thank Madam Susan Santos de Cardenas of Society for Sustainable Tourism - SST as our Adviser and Mentor to the Top 100 Green Destinations Awards 2023 and 2024.
