Monday, September 29, 2008 City ready to host Atop national confab By Lydia C. Pendon
"WE ARE back in business" may aptly describe the general enthusiasm of the city and province of Iloilo while preparing to host the 8th Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (Atop) National Convention here on October 2-5, 2008.
City tourism officer Ben Jimena said the flood spawned by Typhoon Frank last June 21-22 failed to kill the tourism spirit of the Ilonggos despite the destruction of millions of pesos worth of properties.
With a theme "Tourism Today... Coping with Climate Change", the convention may see more than 1,000 delegates composed of tourism officers, local government executives, and council chair of the committee on tourism converging to see the "rainbow" rise of the city and province amid the quagmire of the great flood.
"We have to show them the tourism potentials of Iloilo and the many development strives we have imposed and succeeded to rise above the flood misery," Jimena said.
Senator Richard Gordon will be the keynote speaker during the opening ceremonies on October 2 at the Grand Hotel and Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Joseph Ace Durano on the awards night on October 4.
Other speakers are DOT Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab, DOT Regional Director Edwin Trompeta, Narzalina Lim, Director Catalino Chan, Marjorie Lopingco, and Congressman Edgardo Chatto, House chairman of the committee on tourism.
The Panayana Parade of Festivals will be held on October 3 with 11 festivals of Western Visayas. Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo City, selected by Atop as the best tourism event of the Philippines for two consecutive years, will once again showcase its world-class performance of Tribu Paghidaet.
Other participants in the Parade of Festivals are the Kahilwayan Festival of Sta. Barbara, Tinu-om Festival of Cabatuan, Bana-ag Festival of Anilao, Tigkararag Festival of Pavia, Kasag Festival of Banate, Sa-ad Festival of Leganes, Pantat Festival of Zarraga, Samba Regatta of Iloilo City, Manggahan Festival of the province of Guimaras and Binirayan Festival of the province of Antique.
