By Danny O. Calleja
LEGAZPI CITY, (PNA)—Seeking to stimulate knowledge creation, dissemination and innovative applications in tourism, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is honoring this year travel industry champions in Bicol with prestigious awards.
It will be under the first Gayon (Beautiful) Bicol Awards to highlight the holding in late this month of the two-day regional summit at The Oriental Hotel here.
The summit aims to bring to light the latest tourism industry developments in the region.
Topping the list of awardees are Albay Gov. Joey Salceda who championed the formation of the Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon Tourism Alliance (AlMaSorTA) and Mayor Noel Rosal who is behind the recognition of this city as the country’s new “convention capital.”
AlMaSorTA is a package that enhances the structural attractiveness of all three provinces in the southernmost part of Bicol in synergistic positioning branch franchising.
As convention capital, this city has been receiving thousands of visitors who are delegates or participants in various national and international gatherings organized by both government and non-government groups owing to its attractiveness as ideal venue for such occasions.
Among the other awardees are former Camarines Sur governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte for steering his province into a leading travel destination with his establishment of the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex and Mayor Tito Sarion of Daet, Camarines Norte, who is credited for making Bagasbas Beach known as international site for surfing and kite-boarding competitions.
A posthumous award will also be given to the late former mayor of Donsol, Sorsogon, Jerome Alcantara, for his contributions in making Butanding interactions a regular year-round tourism activity in his municipality known as the Whale Shark Capital of the World.
Under the “enterprise service excellence” category of the Gayon Bicol Awards, Misibis Bay Resort in Sto. Domingo, Albay and Avenue Plaza Hotel in Naga City were chosen as awardees for projects, products and services that are innovative in the tourism field demonstrated through new technologies, environmentally-friendly applications and corporate social responsibility engagement.
DOT-Bicol consultant Danilo Intong, of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Cecilia Duran, former president of the Sorsogon Provincial Tourism Council, will also receive awards under the “tourism development partners” category for their pioneering concepts in Donsol’s whale shark interaction.
This category recognizes initiatives by non-government organizations with a clear non-profit scope using grassroots, partnership, governance, and civil society actions as key factors for their achievements.
“Medals of Valor” will also be conferred as special awards to Philippine Eco-Guides Association national president and Bulusan, Sorsogon Municipal Tourism Officer Philip Bartilet, Mt. Mayon tour guide Aguinaldo Cariño, Butanding interaction officer and dive master Bobby Adrao, councilor Ryan Nuyda of Barangay Dapdap here and George Cordova of the Mayon Accredited Naturalist Eco-Guide Association.
This award represents a merit distinction for the significant contributions in the industry which are highly inspirational and made a significant impact on the tourism sector which can be replicated.
The initiatives of all these awardees are original and inspiring in their nature, objectives, resource management and results, highlighting tourism as a strategic tool for balanced and sustainable development in economic, social and environmental aspects, DOT regional director Maria Ong-Ravanilla on Friday said.
The awarding ceremony that is expected to be graced by DOT undersecretary Maria Victoria Jasmin, undersecretary Daniel Corpuz and assistant secretary Rolando Canizal will be held on Sept. 26.