The Suyac Island Mangrove Eco-Park in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, recognized for its exceptional eco-tourism initiatives, has been named awardee of the 2025 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Community-Based Tourism Awards.

The awarding ceremony will be held in Johor, Malaysia on Jan. 20.

“This award serves as a testament to how community-based tourism has not only uplifted the lives of the Suyac islanders, but also effectively contributed to environmental preservation,” said Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. in a statement on Tuesday.

Located in Barangay Taba-ao and within the Sagay Marine Reserve, the mangrove eco-park is managed by the Suyac Island Eco-Tourist Attendants Association (SIETAAS).

They have been cited for their “exemplary standard set in compliance with the Community-Based Tourism Standard.”

“We embarked on a challenging path towards sustainability. Now, we reap the rewards – not only this prestigious award but also the profound positive impact on our precious mangrove forests and community,” said Vice Mayor Leo Rafael Cueva, who pioneered the program when he was the congressman of the province’s second district.

When the project started in 2012, Chen Mencias of Bluewaters Consultancy served as the city’s sustainable tourism development planner for the project that “underwent a rigorous community development process within the framework of sustainable tourism development”.

Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Helen Cutillar, who laid the groundwork for the Suyac Island initiatives, said “pursuing sustainable tourism development has the power to transform the community into an empowered, resilient, and environmentally-conscious society”.

“Tourism is an invasive industry but if practiced sustainably, it has the potential to enrich, protect, and build communities,” she added.

The Department of Tourism has designated SIETAAS and the Sagay city government as part of the Philippine delegation that will attend the awarding ceremony.

In 2023, Suyac Island was also recognized as a good practice story of Sagay City with its “Mangrove Forest Protection through Community-based EcoTourism Project,” placing second in the Nature and Scenery Category during the Green Destinations Story Awards at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse in Berlin, Germany.

The year before, it was also included in the world’s Top 100 “Green Destinations”, a recognition given by the Green Destinations Foundation based in The Netherlands. (PNA)