The three Negros up and coming tourist destinations that made it to the top ten are Danjugan Island in Negros Occidental, Apo Island in Negros Oriental and Mt. Kanlaon that straddles both provinces, Allan Cao, a director of Isla Lipana, said.

The Isla Lipana officials yesterday visited Danjugan Island to deliver its marker as one of the Top 10 Philippine Gems, that was received by Gerry Ledesma, president of the Philippine Reef and Rainforest Foundation that owns the island, Cao said.

“The search for the ten Philippine Gems envisions the upholding of both domestic and foreign tourism that would hopefully encourage business investments,” Alexander Cabrera, Isla Lipana and Co. chairman and senior partner, said.

“The Philippine Gems steers awareness and appreciation for the country’s pristine and natural sites, even the underdeveloped ones. In our modest way, we aim for these places to gain local and international attention, and in due course, greater economic activity,” he said.

The seven other Philippine Gems, aside from the three from Negros, are Batanes, Biri Rock Formation, Calaguas Islands, Caramoan, Lake Sebu, Panglao Island and Tubbataha.

These destinations were chosen from an initial list of 25 by the public through online voting, which was open from June 26 to September 25 last year, Cao said.

The awards body described Danjugan Island as "the promising paradise sanctuary of Negros".

Danjugan Island is a marine and wildlife reserve, located in Barangay Bulata, Cauayan. It is covered with a rainforest and has five lagoons, three of which are landlocked and two of which are flooded at high tide and colonized by coral and reef fish species. The island is fringed with beaches where turtles nest. It is also surrounded by diverse coral reefs, it said.

The awards body dubbed Apo Island as the “first successful marine sanctuary."

Apo Island is a small, pristine island surrounded by calm and clear waters. It is perfect for underwater activities such as snorkelling and diving, it has even been rated as one of the best dive sites in the world, it said.

Here, divers can encounter an incredible variety of marine life: among the species which can be found near Apo Island are big-eyed jacks, hump-head wrasses, hammerheads, manta rays and even tuna. The island has immaculate white sand, and it is also littered with unique rock formations, it added.

Mt. Kanlaon bisects the Negros Island, and it is also the highest peak in Central Visayas. This makes it popular among mountain climbers and hikers. The fact that it is an active volcano adds a certain kind of thrill, it said.

The Philippine Gems project was made possible with the help of the Philippine Tourism and Promotion Board of the Department of Tourism and the University of the Philippines - Asia Institute of Tourism, which were part of the screening committee together with representatives from the Management Association of the Philippines and FleishmanHillard Manila, travel blogger James Betia and media personalities Love Añover and Jing Lejano and ace director, Jose Javier Reyes, the PWC website said.

Isla Lipana and Co. started with a list of 175 destinations gathered from their employees and online travel bloggers and trimmed this down to 50. The screening committee agreed on a shortlist of 25 destinations which were opened to public online voting to determine the ten Philippine Gems, it added.*CPG

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