144. D.O.T. FAM TOUR CEBU-BOHOL
For almost two
years, my family and I was restrained to travel outside the province of Isabela
due to protocols brought about by the menace COVID-19 pandemic as set by the
inter-agency task force. Mobility was controlled and this affected tourism not
only of our country but around the globe. As the months went by, the Department
of Tourism (DOT) and my office, the Isabela Tourism Office, continued to
monitor the plight of tourism in Cagayan Valley. Last month, the DOT Regional
Office sent a letter invitation for a familiarization tour with business to
business meetings in the Visayas which was originally scheduled from August 26
to 28 this year. The Governor authorized me to attend the Clark-Bohol via Cebu
Travel Bubble Outbound Tourism Exchange which was carried out from November 9
to 13. The main objective of the program is to support our tourism stakeholders
in reviving the local tourism industry and promoting safe travel under the new
normal.
The purpose of the travel is to increase destination awareness and stimulate demand for travel by promoting domestic tourism and the various tourism circuits developed by the Regional Offices. DOT organized familiarization groups highlighting interregional tours. A total of 37 tour operators, airport officials, local tourism officers and marketing officers from Northern Luzon (Regions I, II, III & CAR) travelled to Bohol (via Cebu) to re-experience Bohol’s tourism products and activities under the new normal and meet with local tourism stakeholders to reengage ties and business relationships.
The Cagayan Valley participants, headed by DOT Regional Director Fanibeth T. Domingo, travelled by land and reached the Clark International Airport on November 9. The team is composed of Ms. Rowena Lampitoc (R2 Travel Agencies and Tour Operators Association), Ms. Marichelle O. Costales (Tourism Officer of PLGU of Nueva Vizcaya), Mr. Ramon Jerry A. Cabalce (Wakay Air & Cagayan Valley Regional Tourism Council President) and this humble representation. Before the official travel, numerous requirements were forwarded to DOT Region VII to lessen the hassle coming in and out of Cebu and Bohol and back to Clark. The airport requires Traze (contact tracing app) upon entering the main entrance of the international facility together with the card or certification of double vaccine and antigen test result. We are not allowed to join the fam tour if we were not fully vaxed. Before the tickets were bought, documents proving that we are free from Covid-19 are presented. Upon reaching Cebu via Cebu Pacific flight DG6985 and the hotel, we need to use the Stay Safe app and scan the QR code so we could enter the premises of the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu at Nivel Hills in Cebu Veterans Drive.
The team had a highland tour in Cebu’s mountainside in barangay Busay which includes the Temple of Leah and Sirao Flower Garden dubbed as the little Amsterdam of Cebu. The tour ended with a dinner at Chateau de Busay, a restaurant offering a scenic night view of Cebu City, the queen city of the south.
I decided to visit the Basilica Minore de Santo Niño de Cebu before the second day of the fam tour commenced since visiting Cebu will never be complete without giving reverence to the Child Jesus. I always enjoyed gazing at the historical and religious oil paintings at the hallowed halls of the basilica. I documented and had selfies with the Andres de Urdaneta Marker and the Spanish Colonial Bell engraved with the date 1750.
Outside the church is the famous octagonal kiosk made of coral stone, the Magellan’s Cross Pavilion and the monument labeled as Ruta ng Ekspedisyong Magallanes-El Cano sa Pilipinas. I also went to see the Katedral ng Cebu where the 500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines Cross was erected. The Cebu City Hall, also located in Plaza Sugbu, is guarded by two statues of Vicente Rama (1887-1956), the Father of Cebu City and Sergio V. Osmeña, Jr. (1916-1984), mayor, governor, representative, senator and presidentiable. Lastly, I made sure I would see Plaza Hamabar where the sitting statue of Raha Humabon rests.
The team who hails from four regions of the country left for Bohol Island by Pier 1 of Cebu boarding Ocean Jet 168 bringing us to the port of Tagbiliran cruising the Cebu Straight for two hours. As we touched down the country’s 10th largest island (3,821 sq km), we endured a long line before disembarking the fast craft. An S-PaSS (Safe, Swift & Smart Passage) is required upon entering the Province of Bohol.
The Bellevue Resort at Doljo, Panglao, Bohol was our second home in the Visayas. We proceeded to the main event of our journey, the Travel Exchange and Business to Business Meetings with Bohol stakeholders. Our guests were the Mayor of Panglao, Hon. Leonila P. Montero and Governor Arthur C. Yap who was celebrating his birthday. We had dinner at the gardens of the Bellevue Resort where the DOT Regional Directors and other VIP stakeholders delivered messages.
Day 3 was the first of a two-day Bohol day tour. The Santa Monica Church in Alburquerque town was our first stop with a side visit to the carpentry shop and witnessed how calamay was made. The restored Spanish-period Loboc Church, which was raised to the ground during the 2013 7.2 magnitude earthquake, was next. It was also in this century-old town where we had our lunch in the world famous Loboc River Cruise which was highlighted by dancing and singing while traversing the tourist-oriented waterway.
After the native lunch, the tourist bus started to travel inward Bohol island and passed through the Bilar Manmade Forest until it reached Carmen town where the world famous Chocolate Hills greeted us. Selfies and group picture-takings were everywhere with everyone trying to steal a good shot of the natural wonders at the background. I decided to lead the 214 steps climb to the viewdeck which was erected in 1970 and as I reached the summit thousands of geological formation welcomed me as far as the eyes could see.
Our next tour was an all terrain vehicle drive courtesy of Sotera’s ATV Rides around the Chocolate Hills vicinity in Barangay Buenos Aires. To cap the first day Bohol tour was a visit to the Aproniana Shop for pasalubong and shopping. We had a sumptuous dinner at the Bluewater Panglao Beach Resort accompanied with great acoustic band music at Barangay Tawala in Panglao town.
The second day Bohol tour started at the Bohol Beach Club at Tiwala, Panglao where we boarded a boat and rode for two hours, sailed the Mindanao Sea (also known as Bohol Sea) and reached the spot where dolphins endlessly played. During the trip, we saw the tip of Negros Island and the island-province of Siquijor. We stopped at the marine sanctuary between Balicasag and Panglao Islands and rode a small banca and jumped into snorkeling in the clear water viewing turtles and numerous colorful school of fishes. I went back at the bigger boat and swam underneath its katig. We had lunch before leaving for the beach club.
After changing cloths at the hotel, we checked-out at the Bellevue and reached the Tagbilaran Port just in time for our fastcraft travel to the Port of Cebu. We reached the Marco Polo Plaza and had dinner.
On Day 5, we left the second busiest airport in the country, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport located in Lapu-Lapu Cityin Mactan Island and arrived at our starting point at Clark International Airport where we had our antigen test to make sure that we are all negative. The Region II team went back to Cagayan Valley the same day.
This once in a lifetime free travel made me witness the hardship of travelling under the new normal brought about by the health-terrorist COVID-19 pandemic. As we go back to our stations, we can finalize our tourism circuits and the development plan to adapt to the new set-up, atmosphere and environment of post COVID-19 tourism in our country. I can feel that tourism will surge since everybody are very eager to travel and we hope and pray that the local government units can protect the tourists both local and foreign by still implementing strict health protocols. The five-day travel made me sigh, “It’s more fun in the Philippines”.
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