BACOLOD CITY - Governor Alfredo Marañon has urged Kapampangans to visit Negros Occidental province, now that it is easily accessible via a one-hour flight from Clark International Airport.
The Negrense chief made the statement during the 25th Panaad sa Negros Festival, which kicked off over the weekend.
Marañon said that with the new route, local and foreign visitors coming from Pampanga and Central Luzon can take advantage of what the “Land of Sweet Surprises” has to offer.
“These past months, we’ve seen that the number of tourists coming from Luzon significantly grew and we consider the Clark to Bacolod flights as a big factor. With the two provinces now closer than ever, we can actively promote Negros Occidental as a travel destination to Central Luzon residents,” he said.
Marañon shared that the province is home to an interesting array of historical places as well as islands with pristine white beaches, diverse marine biodiversity, and sustainable tourism practices.
He added that Negrense cuisine and warm hospitality are also one of the top reasons to visit the province.
“Just like Pampanga, we also have a rich history and fascinating tourist spots waiting to be explored. I believe these are the reasons why Pampanga and Negros Occidental is definitely a match, given that aside from our sugar industry, we also share the same culture and way of life,” he said.
Marañon also said he was confident that with the existing sisterhood pact between Pampanga and Negros Occidental, the two provinces will continue their favorable partnership and cooperation that would also translate to both counterparts’ tourism gains.
Last December, Marañon and Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda led the signing of a memorandum of agreement which solidified the two provinces’ sisterhood.
The agreement eyes the promotion and expansion of each party’s capabilities in tourism, as well as arts and culture, livelihood and employment, economic enterprise, education, environment protection, and disaster response, among others.
Aside from mutual interests, the sisterhood agreement was also fuelled by the opening of Clark-Bacolod flights by Philippine Airlines launched late last year.
The flag carrier, which flies four times a week from Clark to Bacolod, departs every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 7 a.m., arriving at the “City of Smiles” at 8:15 a.m. Return flight leaves at 8:55 a.m. and touch down at Clark at 10:10 a.m.