The tourism office of La Trinidad, Benguet, said the ongoing construction of a tourist attraction that went viral for resembling Vietnam’s Golden Bridge is a private project.
In response to numerous inquiries about the site, La Trinidad Tourism emphasized that it is not operated by the municipality.
“Please be informed that the viral ‘Glassway Attraction’ is NOT owned, developed, or initiated by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of La Trinidad,” the tourism office said in a Facebook post on January 7.
“It is a tourism initiative and PRIVATE business investment undertaken by local private individuals. It is also NOT yet a registered tourist attraction, as per our records,” it added.
The tourism office also stressed that all tourism sites in the municipality are privately operated.
“All existing tourism attractions are privately owned and managed, with the exception of the BSU Strawberry Farm, which is owned and operated by Benguet State University, a [government] academic institution,” it said.
The “Glassway Attraction” went viral on social media after users noticed its resemblance to the Golden Bridge in Da Nang, Vietnam, where two giant hands hold a pedestrian walkway, offering tourists panoramic views.
“The Philippines is undeniably beautiful. But we seem to lack originality and long-term vision,” John Manalo, director and former “Goin Bulilit” child actor, said on a Facebook post on January 8.
“It’s always been like this—our places are framed as copies instead of being allowed to stand properly as themselves,” he added, noting that some areas, like Zambales and Marikina, even have monikers inspired by other countries.
“Pretty sure people can come up with something original. Why not make use of Benguet’s own local folklore?” an online user commented on a different post featuring the tourist attraction.
“Nice… but sorry to say—copy cat… Can we not come up with an original concept?” another user wrote.
“Try to be original for once. We try too often to be [like] other countries/places (Bali, Greece, Italy, now Vietnam). And to be honest, usually those are very bad replicas,” a Facebook user quipped.
Meanwhile, others expressed excitement about its potential to boost tourism in the municipality.
“This is [an] additional tourist attraction. Tamang-tama sa darating na Panagbenga next month,” an online user commented on the same post, while hoping for its sturdy construction.
“Tama yan para may ibang pasyalan ang mga turista,” another shared.
“Dumarami ang tourist attraction sa ating lalawigan but please be responsible and respectful sa ating kalikasan at sa mga motorista,” a different online user said.
La Trinidad, Benguet, is known as the “Strawberry Fields of the Philippines,” and for attractions like the Valley of Colors and Mount Costa.