• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
Bacolod City was among the recipients of plaques of recognition from the Department of Tourism 6, during the first PAGDAYAW 2023 Appreciation Night at Zuri Hotels and Suites in Iloilo City Wednesday, an event held in line with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of DOT Manila.
DOT 6 recognized Bacolod City for being one of the Top Contributing Cities in Tourist Arrivals (overnight-stay tourists) in Western Visayas for the year 2022.
Bacolod was also recognized for its invaluable support to DOT 6 in the campaign for accreditation of tourism establishments in Western Visayas in 2022, and as its Tourism Partner.
The Bacolod MICE Group was also recognized for the invaluable support it has extended to DOT 6 in the development and recovery efforts in Western Visayas tourism industry, along with Boracay MICE, and Iloilo MICE, during the event.
The plaques of recognition given to Bacolod City were received by City Bacolod Tourism Operations Officer Ma. Teresa Manalili, who was also recognized as “Best Tourism Officer” during the Gawad Agustino-Gabi ng Parangal of Colegio San Agustin at L’ Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City Wednesday.
Plaques of appreciation were presented to L’Fisher Hotel Bacolod and Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod for being one of the Top Contributing DOT-Accredited Accommodation Establishments in Tourist Arrivals (overnight-stay tourists) Report in Bacolod City for 2022.
Campuestohan Highland Resort and The Ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental were also recognized as top tourist attractions/sites in Western Visayas.
Selected local governments in Negros Occidental, like the cities of Bago, Sipalay, Cadiz, Talisay, and Silay, were also among the recipients of plaques of appreciation from DOT 6.
Pagdayaw, an Ilonggo term for ‘praise’ was aptly chosen by DOT VI to express their commendation to recognize the unwavering support, committed service, and efforts of its tourism partners and stakeholders.
In her opening message, RD Crisanta Marlene P. Rodriguez highlighted the support, assistance, and cooperation of partner stakeholders, in the private and public sectors in fulfilling DOT’s mandate to encourage, promote, and develop tourism as a major socio-economic activity to generate foreign currency and local employment, and to spread the benefits of tourism to a wider segment of the population.
Undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao, on behalf of Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Garcia Frasco, also graced the event and expressed in his message that tourism is not just the Department’s business alone but a shared responsibility between and among stakeholders, the national and local government, the private sector, and the people.
A total of 100 recipients were awarded plaques of appreciation in the following categories: Training Facilitators, MICE and Media Partners, Ecotourism Advocacy, Community-Based Tourism Development, Accreditation Campaign, Tourism Data Managers and Compilers, Tourism Partners, and Pillars of Western Visayas Tourism Industry.*
