The Pujada Bay in Mati City, Davao Oriental, has been included in the “Most Beautiful Bays in the World” (MBBW).

In a press statement on Sunday, the Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office (PIO) said the declaration was made by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World during the 15th World Bays Congress in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, held from October 16 to 20.

The Davao Oriental delegation was composed of provincial governor’s office chief-of-staff Ednar Dayanghirang and Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) Officer Dolores Valdesco, who both represented Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang and City Environment Officer Eddie Cobacha as Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat’s representative.

The team presented the Pujada Bay application to join the club during the congress.

After the application’s initial approval, PIO said experts from the MBBW are now set to visit the province to conduct a ground assessment and validation of the Pujada Bay.

“The ground validation is the first official act of MBBW to visit new approved members to see what we told them, prior to induction next year for the 16th World Congress in Morocco,” said Dayanghirang.

Gov. Dayanghirang welcomed the development, saying it would further boost the status of Mati City and Davao Oriental world-class tourist destinations.

Dayanghirang also hopes that the inclusion of Pujada Bay in the MBBW would also result in more initiatives aimed at protecting the water body.

Meanwhile, Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat said the ground validation is a big challenge for local officials, pointing out that “once confirmed”, it would lead to increased tourist arrivals.

The club started in 1996 with the concept of bringing together the most beautiful bays in the world.

The Philippines is among the 26-member countries of the club, with Puerto Galera Bay as the lone bay in the country included in the official MBBW list.