THE MATI City government is aiming for the construction of a water treatment facility as part of efforts to protect three of its bays, which have been certified as among the most beautiful in the world.
Mayor Michelle N. Rabat said the treatment plant is considered the most costly and biggest project that the local government wants to undertake.
“Because our asset is the bay which is Mayo Bay with the Dahican Beach that surfers love to go to. We also have the Pujada Bay so we need to have mitigating measures and that is one thing I want to take,” she said in an interview last week.
Mati City received on Dec. 10 the formal certification from the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World for Pujada, Balite, and Mayo.
“It’s a welcome development for tourism in the city but also a challenge for all of us Matinians to protect and preserve our beautiful bays. With this certification from the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World, this makes Mati the ‘City of Beautiful Bays’,” Ms. Rabat said.
Mati, the capital of Davao Oriental in southern Philippines, shares the title for Mayo Bay with the neighboring town of Tarragona, which also has coastal communities along the body of water.
Mati’s three bays were recognized by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays of the World in June 2020 following an application jointly undertaken by the city and provincial governments. — Maya M. Padillo