Cebu Daily News / Enterprise

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/enterprise/view_article.php?article_id=173346

Tourism execs eyed to promote Cebu By Doris C. Bongcac Cebu Daily News Posted date: November 20, 2008 The Cebu provincial government is urging towns and cities to designate tourism officers to sustain efforts to promote local culture and heritage sites. Provincial Board Member Agnes Magpale said she already wrote Cebu’ s 44 town mayors asking them to appoint their tourism officers. So far 33 have responded. “We have already defined the direction of our tourism efforts,” said Gov. Gwen Garcia. “While we have white sand beaches, we also have remains of the past that give us our distinction and our own identity.” The Cebu Tourism Officers Association (CTOA), which has 33 members, is being considered for this role. The association is led by Greg Rubio, tourism officer of the municipality of Daanbantayan. CTOA officers took their oath of office before Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia in a luncheon ceremony yesterday in a Cebu City restaurant. Magpale said tourism officers could help Cebu province inventory and maintain existing tourism, heritage and cultural sites. These tourism officers would work closely with the Capitol in the development and promotion of these sites. Governor Garcia, who leads another Suroy Suroy caravan to the south on Nov. 21 to 23 , said tourists should go outside Metro Cebu and see the richness of Cebuano culture through its relics and cultural sites. The Suroy Suroy Sugbu program started in 2004. More than 100 individuals signed up for tomorrow’s Suroy Suroy Southern Heritage Trail this weekend. The trail will be a leisurely swing through 22 towns and cities in Cebus first and second districts. Earlier in January 2008, the provincial government also organized a southern heritage caravan. This was followed with visits to northern municipalities, Camotes island, midwestern municipalities and an “urban adventure” program to cities of Lapu Lapu and Mandaue and the municipality of Cordova. Magpale said she wanted to tap CTOA in documenting how the Suroy Suroy has changed host towns and cities. “I want to prove to our detractors that the Suroy Suroy has helped the community so we need to collect data to prove this,” said Magpale. If a town can’t afford to appoint a tourism officer, the mayor can appoint the chairman of the municipal council’s tourism committee and the budget officer. An organization would also make it eaiser for the Capitol to hold training seminars. Magpale said she will propose during the Regional Tourism Council (RTC) that will be held on Monday in Dumaguete City for different tourism officers in the region to undergo training.