THIS year's edition of the Lucky Summer Visitors to be undertaken by the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC), the largest media organization in the Cordillera, will give priority to first-time visitors coming from Typhoon Yolanda-stricken areas of Leyte, Samar and Iloilo and those affected by a strong earthquake in Bohol.
BCBC president Franklin Cimatu said this is BCBC's way of assuaging the pain of survivors from that area. Chosen visitors will be given a red carpet treatment in Baguio and Benguet for four days.
On the morning of April 17, Holy Thursday, BCBC officers and members of the selection committee led by Larry Fabian and Jordan Tablac with representatives from the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Cordillera and BB-PICAG will motor down to Rosario, La Union for the selection of the LSV from passengers of buses coming from different parts of the lowlands who want to spend their Holy Week in Baguio and in the nearby province of Benguet.
Once lucky visitors are selected, a courtesy call will be held at Twin Peaks, Tuba and a quick stop to the Lions Head will follow, after which, visitors will be brought to the Baguio City Hall for another courtesy call.
LSVs will then be presented to members of BCBC at the Media Camp or the Camp Pepot Ilagan in Burnham Park. Lucky visitors will stay for free at the Azalea residences while meals will be sponsored by the local government of La Trinidad, Goshen Land, Bowls@Knights’ keep, Rumours Bar, and Philippine Military Academy.
A renegade of tours will follow to prime tourist destinations in Baguio and Benguet that will include Mines View, PMA, Baguio Cathedral, Burnham Park, and Balatoc Mines and even experience the ukay-ukay at Harrison Road at night. The visitors will also be treated to the strawberry farms in La Trinidad, Benguet.
LSVs will also experience adventures in Pugo, La Union and be back to the city for a cultural escapade in Tam-awan. The new addition would be the Dinosaur Island which just opened at Tuba.
Apart from the free guided tours, the lucky visitors will also be treated to nightly shows by the various local performers in order to make their stay in the city unforgettable, one that will keep them coming back and help promote the city as an ecotourism destination in the country.
BCBC officers will also be handling other activities for the week in partnership with the Philippine Mining Safety and Environmental Association (PMSEA) which will be co-sponsoring a journalism workshop on traditional and social media on Monday, April 14 and Tuesday, April 15.
PMSEA being a major sponsor of the LSV will also be hosting a grand welcome party on Thursday. There will also be in-house art workshop by Ev Espiritu from Wednesday to Saturday plus a safety training for journalist by Vladimir Cayabas of the National Institute of Information and Technology.
Baguio Representative Nicasio Aliping will be inducting new members on Wednesday while on Saturday, a Black Sabbath Night will be held for all BCBC rockers led by March Fianza and friends.
A special kapihan will be held on Wednesday with Department of Tourism Cordillera Director Purificacion Molintas, The North Face, Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan and Aliping. Bishop Carlito Cenzon will be holding a special mass before the Kapihan.
Major partners for the event are PMSEA, Smart, and Baguio City local government under the Summer Vacation Program.
Other sponsors are: Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, John Hay Management Corporation, the Department of Tourism Cordillera, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, SM Bingo, Lepanto Mines, Benguet Corp., Caltex, SNAP Aboitiz, Hedcor, SM Baguio, Le Monet Hotel, Sky Cable, Twin Peaks Barangay, Coke Philippines, TigerAir, Tanduay, Philex Mines Corp., Benguet PNP, BAMAPCOM, Country Club, Manor, Benguet Electric Cooperative and Baguio Water District and Benguet representative Ronald Cosalan.
The media club launched the LSV in 1958 to promote tourism in Baguio-Benguet and entice more visitors to the various tourist spots in the city. (PR)