TWO respectable “Grand Ladies” celebrated their birthdays in June. At their early 90s, kudos to energetic senior citizens Angelina Ong and Beling Go Ching Hai for staying fit!
I met Angelina during our active days in the Lions. We spent some old good times with other Lions and Lionesses. Her durable motherhood finds satisfaction in her successful children—all happily married with talented children. She says, “They are my treasures!” We are always thrilled with the singing voice of Angeling. Her bubbly personality brings out some positive vibes.
Beling Go Ching Hai became my colleague in many civic projects, most notable of which was Forward, where both of us dreamed to synergize as many civic clubs to tackle environmental concerns. For Beling, starting off with a nursery of seedlings, which will grow into bountiful trees, will initiate nurturing our surroundings and eventually preserving the environment.
Beling is now engrossed in finishing her book about Forward.
Tourism Summit
The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) held its annual Tourism Summit at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel.
The summit focused on “Tourism Pathways to Industry Growth and Development,” articulated by keynote speaker Alma Rita D. Jimenez, undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and Resource Generation.
“Turismo, Tao, Trabaho!” The slogan spelled out a new approach to cope with the stiff competition in global tourism. “Let us have more aggressive and innovative mechanisms.”
Undersecretary Alma sees a difficult and more challenging tourism in the future that will need well-rounded marketing schemes. Manuel Louie Ferrer gave an amazing infrastructure plan of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. Years from now Cebu will have state-of-the-art airport facilities. The rest of the topics illustrated sports tourism, online digital marketing, ecology, perspectives of travellers and the most awaited panel discussion on security and safety tourism.
How will current civil strifes affect tourism? How ready are we in handling travel advisories from our target market? These questions remain unanswered.
“There are many things to do,” said CCCI tourism chairman Edwin Ortiz. Right you are, we need less talk but realistic action programs and proper budget management for the more urgent problems.