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Friday, March 18, 2005
City Hall not appeased with tourism dep't amends
By Angeline Valencia
* The Mayor says the Tourism Secretary could have instead advised local officials on what to do to improve or come up with additional facilities for the tourists.
MAYOR Agustin Perdices expressed dissatisfaction with the assurance of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano to include Dumaguete in the second phase of the "Biyahe Na" joint television commercial of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Smart Telecommunications.
Speaking less than a week after the visit of Secretary Durano, who accompanied President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her visit to Negros Oriental last week, Mayor Perdices said the assurance was not enough to wipe away the taint in "telling the whole world" that the City of Gentle People is not yet ready to accommodate tourists.
The mayor said the tourism secretary could have instead advised local officials on what to do to improve or come up with additional facilities for the tourists.
"Among giingnan si secretary (Durano) nga ok ra man if you don't include us. We will not force you. What we were not happy about was why did he have to tell the whole world that we are not ready. Even if we are not totally ready, naapa man gud ta'y kakulangan. Di man na ikalimod. We're still trying to improve our facilities. But as a secretary of tourism, dili niya angay i-anunsyo sa tibook kalibutan nga we're not ready," Perdices said.
He said Dumaguete can proceed with its tourism programs even without the help of the national tourism office, but since Durano offered to help, the City Government will ask him to help fund the tiling of the whole 780-meter stretch of the Boulevard.
At the moment, the Mayor said, the City Government was still assessing the updated price for the tiles, but hinted that it would not be costly because the boulevard is less than a kilometer in length.
On the other hand, Perdices said he found it awkward to include Dumaguete in the food theme phase of the promotional campaign.
"Nganong iapil man ta sa food (theme)? We're not inviting people to come, see Dumaguete, to eat our food. We would fit more didto sa people and culture. Didto ta. People like to come to Dumaguete kay we are gentle people, maayo tang motagad sa atong mga bisita. (There is also something in our) cultural (aspect), atong sites, schools and everything. Mas mo-fit ta didto sa people and culture. Dili sa food. Sa Dumaguete, unsay may food and festival? Moingong ari mo dire kay kaon mo sa among budbud?" the mayor pointed out.
The province, he said, would fit in the fiesta theme because of Buglasan, but not Dumaguete.
The mayor said the Tourism Council would formally tell DOT that "we prefer that we will be classified under people and culture rather than food. I don't see how we can convince people outside to come here because of food. Wala sa lugar!"
Perdices said DOT Regional Director Patria Aurora Roa must sit down with local officials to know why Dumaguete should be under the people and culture phase.
"Dili na ni madahan sa secretary. This should have been more of the regional office's job," the mayor said.
(March 17, 2005 issue)
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