BOTOLAN, Zambales — Following dialogues between Ayta stakeholders and tourism officials in Botolan and Capas, Tarlac, the local government of Botolan announced the resumption of its Pinatubo Crater Lake Adventure program.

Botolan Municipal Tourism Officer Gennessy Villar said the tour program will resume on Monday, June 16, to accommodate requests from tourists wishing to discover the beauty of Mt. Pinatubo and experience the thrill in climbing the popular volcano.

The adventure program momentarily stopped last April after some tribesmen in Capas barricaded the route to Pinatubo to demand respect for tribal rights and meaningful participation in the tourism program.

In May, Botolan Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane suspended the trekking program on the Botolan side, saying the trails needed repair for safety reasons.

Villar announced the resumption of the tour program following a ceremony commemorating the 34^th year of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption that changed much of the landscape surrounding the volcano in the provinces of Zambales and Tarlac.

Pinatubo began erupting on June 12, 1991 and continued with spectacular explosions until June 15 in what was considered the second-largest volcanic eruption of the 20^th century.

Among those who attended the commemorative program were Villar, Indigenous People’s Mandatory Representatives from Botolan and Capas, barangay leaders from the eastern villages of Botolan, and representatives of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Zambales Provincial Tourism Office, Capas Municipal Tourism Office, as well as the Botolan Police Station and Philippine Army.

The program was held right at the jump-off point for the Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake Adventure, where the 4×4 vehicle routes from Botolan and Capas end and where the 45-minute trek up the slope of the volcano begins.

Villar said that because of the cooperation between the municipalities of Botolan and Capas, including the Ayta tribes residing in upland communities therein, Mt. Pinatubo has been recognized as a much sought-after tourism attraction.

The resumption of the Pinatubo adventure tours, Villar added, would reopen economic opportunities to Ayta folk in the Pinatubo area.

Villar also expressed appreciation for the support of Ayta stakeholders, Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane, Zambales Governor Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr., Department of Tourism-Region 3, and NCIP-Region 3 in making the reopening possible. 