• ANDREW ALTAREJOS
The Province of Negros Occidental and its LGUs harvested several awards during the Pagdayaw Awards 2024 of the Department of Tourism Region VI held at the Grand Xing Imperial Hotel in Iloilo City, Monday (December 9).
Negros Occidental was awarded as one of the Top Performing Local Government Units in Region 6 with the most number of the DOT Accredited Regional Tour Guides. While several local government units (LGUs) also received their individual awards: Cadiz City, one of the Top Performing LGUs in Western Visayas with the most number of DOT-Accredited Tourism Enterprises in 2023, and Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Tourism Destination.
Sagay City also received the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Eco-Tourism Destination and one of the Top Performing Government units in Western Visayas with the most number of DOT Accredited Tourism Enterprises in Western Visayas in 2023.
The Municipality of Ilog was awarded the Likha Award: Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Art Destination. Talisay City received the Philippines Tourism Excellence Award for Tourism Destination and Multidimensional Tourism Product Award, in recognition of its remarkable efforts and initiatives as Tourism Champion in promoting Farm Tourism in Western Visayas in 2023.
Bago City received the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Eco-Tourism Destination and Tourism Champion in Mainstreaming Gender and Development in Western Visayas Tourism Industry, and Tourism Champion in the Development and Promotion of Community-based Tourism in Western Visayas, while Silay City received the Tourism Champion in Multidimensional Tourism Product: Pilgrimage Tourism (Festival of Bread and Roses) for San Diego Parish Church.
Victorias City was 4th Place in the Department of Tourism Champions Challenge, while Kabankalan City received the Gender Mainstreaming Award – Tourism Champion in Mainstreaming Gender and Development Award in Western Visayas, and was Top Contributing Cities in Overnight Visitor Arrivals in Western Visayas for 2023. San Carlos City was awarded as one of the Top Contributing Cities in Overnight Visitor Arrivals in Western Visayas for 2023, while the Municipality of La Castellana was awarded as one of the Top Contributing Municipalities in same-day visitor arrivals in Western Visayas for 2023.
The City of Sipalay bagged the most number of awards including: Tourism Champion in Promoting Dive Tourism in Western Visayas in 2023-Multidimensional Tourism Product Award, Tourism Champion in Promoting Nature and Ecotourism in Western Visayas 2023 – Multidimensional Tourism Product Award, Tourism Champion in Promoting Adventure and Sports Tourism in Western Visayas 2023 – Multidimensional Tourism Product Award, Tourism Champion in the Development and Promotion of Community-based tourism in Western Visayas in 2023 – Product Development Award, Tourism Champion in Mainstreaming Gender and Development in Western Visayas Tourism Industry – Product Development Award, Most Number of DOT-Accredited Tourism Enterprises in Western Visayas 2023 – Top Performing LGUs in Region 6 in terms of the DOT Accreditation Campaign, Most Number of DOT-Accredited Community Tour Guides in Western Visayas in 2023 – Top Performing LGUs in Region 6 in terms of the DOT Accreditation Campaign, Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Dive Destination – Regional Nominee, Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Tourism Destination – Regional Nominee, and 4th Top Contributing LGU in Overnight Visitors Arrivals in Western Visayas for 2023.
Presenting the awards to the winners were DOT-6 Regional Director Krisma Rodriguez, USec. Ferdinand Jumapao, and Asst. Regional Director Phoebe Arenas.
Tourism officers who were present during the awarding ceremonies were Jerick Lacson of Sipalay City, Gerle Sulmaca of Silay City, May Ann Furtos of Bago City, Randy Siason of Kabankalan City, Rica Calseña of Victorias City, Ketchie Posas of Talisay City, Bryan Piojo of Ilog, Tere Manalili of Bacolod City, and Cheryl Decena of the Province of Negros Occidental.*
