For two years, the COVID-19 outbreak held up the operation of a butterfly sanctuary manned by Dante Jumapit of Sitio Cabilao, Cangomantong, Lazi, Siquijor. No foreign tourists. No local tourists. No income.
Jumapit, however, would not give up. Butterflies have become his passion. He was not yet ready to turn over his investment of time, money, and effort into the mercy of circumstance.
As early as the third quarter of 2021, he took a bold step by asking help from Engr. Mario de la Peńa of the Department of Science and Siquijor Provincial Science and Technology Center (DOST-PSTC).
Upon the finding of legitimacy and viability of his proposal, DOST-7 approved it under Grant-in-Aid arrangement and awarded a check to Jumapit in January 2022.
“I came to know Mr. Jumapit as a passionate and industrious individual in the pursuit of this butterfly project. This has been his dream and knowing that DOST could offer help to him, I never hesitated to support for its rehabilitation. In the past years, there has already been an account that the province of Siquijor has its own endemic butterfly specie called Siquijorana. On that premise, there is a need to look for its propagation, and surely, he would do a great job with it,” said DOST Siquijor Provincial Science and Technology Director Engr. Mario de la Peńa.
DOST Siquijor PSTD Engr. Mario de la Peńa (2nd from right) turns over the check to Dante Jumapit (2nd from left) and his wife for the rehabilitation of the latter’s butterfly sanctuary in Sitio Cabilao, Cangomantong, Lazi, Siquijor. (DOST Siquijor)
DOST takes the lead in fostering an innovation culture within a community.
Jumapit’s butterfly sanctuary is one permutation of such, and in the process, it serves as an educational conservation center that promotes scientific value of biodiversity and its preservation.
The other side of the coin remains its practical window for tourism opportunity.
“Dako nako nga kalipay nga natabangan gyud ko og ang akong pamilya nga mapadayon namo among nasugdan nga pagpalambo sa among butterfly sanctuary. Dili gyud nako ni makalimtan ang pag-unong sa DOST para sa ako damgo (I and my family are more than grateful to have received an intervention in sustaining our butterfly sanctuary. I will not forget the graciousness of DOST in making my dream come true)," said Jumapit.
As of this writing, Jumapit’s butterfly sanctuary is now open for local and foreign tourists alike.
The P100 entrance fee gives one access to the 200-square-meter butterfly habitat where over 20 species of butterflies frolick inside the gardens of flowers. (PR/Jose Aldous Rubi Arbon II, DOST Siquijor)
