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Thursday, January 20, 2005
Tourism upbeat despite carnage
By Avelyn Z. Agudon
TALISAY CITY -- The highlights of the renowned Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan that was marred by a bloodbath did not affect the tourism industry of the country, said Tourism Secretary Joseph "Ace" Durano.
Durano, who was one of the resource speakers of the University of St. La Salle's Second Negros Congress held Wednesday, considered the tragic incident that killed a 10-year-old girl and six police officers, including Senior Supt. Odelardo Magayanes, acting provincial police director of Aklan and Chief Insp. Manuel Ilejay Jr., police chief of Kalibo, an isolated incident.
Citing the report of Edwin Trompeta, head of tourism in Western Visayas, Durano said the shooting that also injured 31 others, including five policemen, did not affect the festivities to honor the Aklanons' patron saint, Senior Sto. Niño.
He added the procession by dancing on the streets of Kalibo in honor of Sto. Niño proceeded as scheduled.
The merry-making, known as "sad-sad" stopped for five hours following the shooting at 8:45 a.m., Sunday.
The revelries should have started after the concelebrated Mass at the public plaza but was suspended following the shooting.
Durano said based on the survey they conducted, peace and order is not the main concern of tourists.
Their number one concern is the traffic, specifically in Metro Manila, then the cleanliness of the surroundings.
Tourist arrival increases
Durano said the arrival of tourists last year increased by 20 percent or 2.3 million compared to the previous year's 1.9 million.
The number of tourist arrival surpassed the highest number of arrival in 1997, which was 2.2 million.
Most of the tourists came from the United States of America, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, Singapore, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany and Malaysia.
Probe
The gunman, PO1 Jonathan Moreño, a native of Toboso town, Negros Occidental was neutralized by responding troopers of the Regional Mobile Group.
A close-in bodyguard of Magayanes, Moreño fired at the policemen from behind and fired at the others at will.
Police are now studying various angles to the shooting specifically the involvement of Western Visayas' jailed suspected drug lord Jose Kim "Boy" Cuadra from Bacolod City.
Moreño was a vital witness to Cuadra's case for possessing illegal drugs.
Moreño and two others arrested Cuadra in April 2003 at the Caticlan Airport.
Police had yet to come out with the result of investigation on the shooting.
(January 20, 2005 issue)
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