MISAMIS Oriental has bagged the first runner-up award for the Best Tourism-Oriented Local Government Unit (LGU) Provincial Category at the 20th Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines-Department of Tourism (ATOP-DOT) Pearl Awards held in Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
The Pearl Awards was part of the ATOP National Convention, an event that celebrates the best of Philippine tourism through bringing together tourism officers and showcasing premier tourism practices, products, and service from all over the country.
“It only shows that ang effort sa tourism program ni Gov. Bambi, being his flagship program, has already been recognized all over the country,” Provincial Tourism Department head Jeffrey Saclot said.
The annual search for the best tourism-oriented LGU in the Philippines is given to the province, city and municipality that shows a sustainable tourism department program as defined in the Tourism Act of 2009.
The province of Samar won as the grand winner, followed by Misamis Oriental as first runner-up; and Ilocos Norte, which was last year’s grand winner, as second runner-up.
Saclot expressed his gratitude to the people involved in helping with Governor Yevgeny Emano’s agenda on tourism for the province.
“Because dili namo pwede nga its because of the activities of the Provincial Tourism Office nakuha ang award. We would like to share that ang pagkuha sa Best Tourism-Oriented Province daghan kaayo bases,” Saclot said.
“Nag include na ana kun unsa ang program sa province sa pag-sustain, pag-preserve sa environment. How they were able to implement projects of livelihood, peace and order, na naka help promote and develop tourism sa Misamis Oriental,” he added.
Saclot said that by receiving the first runner-up award, Emano’s eight pillars supporting his tourism program has paid off as was the governor’s policy of transparency and accountability in implementing the said program.
Misamis Oriental also received a special recognition as the top 16 of the 2019 Most Business Friendly LGU Provincial Level.