Friday, April 11, 2008 Suroy ends; 130 tourists satisfied
TWO bus loads of balikbayans and a few foreign tourists finished the three-day Suroy Suroy Sugbo-Northern Escapade satisfied with satisfaction on the food, sights and experience.
There were complaints, though, of the high steps of the buses, which organizers solved by putting a beer case on the ground to serve as the first step.
About 130 participants experienced “the best kept secret of Cebu,” at the town of San Remigio.
Municipal Mayor Mariano Martinez called his town the best kept secret in Cebu, but expects that the short visit of the tourists in San Remigio will be the first step so that the town will not be a secret for long.
The town also presented its Lapyahan Festival, which is yet to be formally launched in the town. Lapyahan means shoreline and the town prides itself for having white sand beaches.
The next stop is Bantayan Island, home to three municipalities—Santa Fe, Madridejos and Bantayan.
Resort
The participants feasted mostly on seafood, which the island is known for, in every stop.
The island is also known for its beaches.
Santa Fe is home to at least four resorts that tourists are known to flock—Hoyohoy Villas, Marlin’s Beach Resort, Santa Fe Beach Club and Ogtong Cave. Ogtong,
derived from a popular fish in the island called Kogtong, was the former name of Santa Fe.
Madridejos Mayor Salvador dela Fuente then welcomed the group at Kota Park with his rendition of the song “This is the Moment.”
He explained that the passing his town is the moment when the Provincial Government helps the tourism industry of Madridejos.
Suroy Suroy is a pet project of the Cebu Provincial Government.
Dela Fuente said that the program encourages tourists to respect local culture and in turn, the locals will reap the benefits of it through its tourism industry.
Barangays
Bantayan capped the second day of the Suroy Suroy with dancing.
The local youth danced folk dances, Cebu’s theme song Mabuhi, and even grabbed the tourists to dance with them.
The last day had its first stop at Bogo City, where all of its 29 barangays formed clusters and each cluster exhibited their local delicacies, the famous of which is the pintos.
The city showcased its unique Kuyayang Festival that featured dancers dancing with plates.
Tourists also saw first hand how corn is grated and how a fiber from maguey is made in the Municipality of Tabogon.
They also had a light moment when local elderlies danced the curacha, a courtship dance of the past.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Tabogon Mayor Eusebio Dungog Sr. joined the dancing.
Participants
Borbon entertained the tourists with its popular contests of children chasing and catching a piglet and racing through a single pole that has a price at the farthest end.
The second to the last stop was Catmon and the tourists were taken to the Huna-Huna beach that also houses Meddah Spa inside. Just as the participants came in, they could not help but notice the fragrance of the place, brought about by the spa. The resort also awed the tourists.
The three-day activity ended in Liloan, home of the famous 101-year-old Titay’s Rosquillos. Some of the tourists were taken to the baking area of the store to experience firsthand how rosquillos are made and packed. (JGA)
