AROUND 1,000 delegates from all over the country have arrived in Misamis Oriental as the Provincial Government kicked off the 19th Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (Atop) National Convention on Wednesday, October 3.
Through hosting this year's four-day convention (October 3 to 6), which is held in Limketkai Luxe Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City, the tourism industry of Misamis Oriental is expected to boost, according to Provincial Governor Yevgeny Emano.
“For the month of October, at least, I am pretty sure that waiters will be paid in advance, the cook, they will be paid in advance in all the restaurants and the hotels who are helping [for the convention],” Emano said.
“Why? Because everytime a delegate comes, they will spend money. And the money they will be spending will be going to the salaries of our waiters, waitresses, the cook, even the guards in the hotels, and even the janitors will benefit from it,” he added.
The governor also assured of the security measures during the event as the Provincial Government has enlisted the help of the police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and the National Bureau of Investigation to ensure the safety of the people involved in the convention.
Although, Emano requested for the public to remain aware and alert during the four-day event.
“This convention is not for Bambi Emano or for the province, this convention is for us. I hope that if in case you noticed something that is different or that are different from the way things are going now in the city and in the province, please let us know,” Emano said.
Several activities are slated for the four-day convention. According to lawyer Jeffrey Saclot, head of the Provincial Tourism Office, day one involves the arrival and registration of the delegates from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
At 6 p.m. Wednesday, the opening program was held for the 19th Atop National Convention and the Governor's Night held at the grand ballroom of Limketkai Luxe Hotel.
Day 2 involves immersion tours of the delegates in the morning, wherein they will be able to experience and explore different places in Misamis Oriental.
The delegates will be back in Cagayan de Oro in the afternoon to prepare for the Solidarity Night at 6 p.m., Saclot said.
During the third day is the plenary session of the delegates and the business meeting of all the members of the Atop in the afternoon.
At 6 p.m. onwards is the Pearl Awards and the culmination program.
Saclot also shared how they encountered challenges during the preparation stage of the convention, such as the limited resources, the security and the sites to be visited by the delegates.
“The locations of the places that we need to consider and so far as coming up with the tour packages is concerned, so ang dami, we had to visit the sites, for us to check whether or not the sites are ready for the tour,” Saclot said.
“With the big support of the PNP (Philippine National Police), we were assured that we will be able to carry this out successfully,” he added.
According to Saclot, the PNP will be deploying as many police personnel as possible, from day 1 until the time that our delegates will go back to their respective places.
“I know that we will be having challenges also, I am pretty confident that with all your help, and ATOP help, it will be a successful convention,” Emano said.
“We are actually very passionate when it comes to tourism because I know, tourism, once we open the flood gates, nobody can stop,” the governor added.