Back then, the islanders agreed that hiking in the forests of Lubang is one activity that will be promoted. After all, LIG has an extensive forest cover that, interestingly, has been preserved due to the presence of a Japanese straggler by the name of Lt. Hiroo Onoda. He was an Imperial Japanese intelligence officer who was sent to Lubang in December 1944 to bomb Tilik port, but failed. When the Americans and the Philippine Commonwealth forces landed in Lubang in February 1945, Onoda ran into the jungles and stayed there for 30 years, refusing to believe that the war was over. He came down from the mountain only upon receiving a direct order from his commanding officer Major Yoshimi Taniguchi in March 1974.
Five years ago, I was part of the team that assessed and mapped the forest and the caves where Lt. Onoda used to live. Three Onoda Trail loops were plotted and designed so that they can provide hiking experiences to visitors of varying levels of skills. Onoda Trail has emerged as the primary tourism product of Lubang due to its historical value. Even Japanese tourists have started visiting the island. Trained guides take visitors to four of several caves in the forest that became Onoda's refuge.
For more information on the concept of wealth generation for tourism, sign up for the upcoming Philippine Ecotourism 101 seminar. Visit http://www.suievents.com/Philippine-ecotourism 101