Suroy-suroy Sugbo: Using public funds for private gains?

Inarguably, tourism, business process outsourcing (BPO) and exports of goods and wares are the identified drivers of the local economy. If we are keen enough, we would notice that these are foreign-money driven. Tourism largely depends on foreign tourists’ spending. Obviously, BPOs and exports cater to foreign companies’ and their populations’ needs. However, while the BPO industry has sustained us, exports of goods have remained undesirable and tourism is becoming to be a big disappointment.

Truth to tell, Cebu’s tourism (supposedly, one of the saviors of the local economy) performance is lackadaisical. Despite spending millions in promoting the island through Cebu City’s world-renowned Sinulog and the Province’s “Suroy-suroy Sugbo”, ironically, we only placed sixth in terms of tourism growth.  

Undeniably, statistics shows that, after dominating for a span of time, last year’s results showed Cebu lagging behind Metro Manila and Camarines Sur (CamSur) in key performance statistics. Based on a report from the Department of Tourism (DOT), CamSur posted an incremental growth of 52.90 percent from January to September 2010 (compared to the same period in 2009) in tourist arrivals. CamSur counts among its tourist arrivals in 2010 some 310,063 foreigners (2009 was 206,937) for a growth rate of 49.83 percent and l,569,109 domestic travelers (2009 was l,229,029) for an incremental growth of 53.52 percent. Metro Manila ranked second place with a growth rate of 20.93 percent last year. Boracay was in third position with a growth rate of 19.85 percent, while Cebu frustratingly placed sixth with a dismal 6.42 percent growth rate.

Unlike election results, these statistics are unquestioned and will remain unquestionable. Cebu, the unseated leader, has a lot to be concerned about. Likewise, the Cebu tourism players cannot take this unfavorable developments sitting down. Setting aside political biases, we must accept that a problem does exist. 

Therefore, it is paramount that we should know what went wrong. Probably, we can start with our products. So that, the more appropriate question is, are we promoting good products? Or, quite bluntly, in one of our multi-million promotions, are we promoting a product or funding a politician’s dream of expanding and strengthening her political clout.

Understanding Metro Manila’s and Camarines Sur’s dominance isn’t difficult to do. In these two new dominant players, the right infrastructures are in place. The world-class Camarines Sur Watersport Complex (CWC) and the Gota Village Resort in Caramoan remain to be the top attraction in CamSur’s indefatigable tourism push.

In optimizing its infrastructures’ potentials, the CWC (where one of the best cable parks of the world is located) continuously enticed top wake-boarders from all over the world by holding international competitions. To recall, last year, the province hosted the 5th and final leg of the World Wake Association (WWA) 2010 World Series dubbed the Ultimate Wake Championship. Such event drew over 100 wake riders from 30 countries. On the other hand, Metro Manila is drawing thousands of visitors daily at its Newport Entertainment City and the Manila Oceanarium or Manila Ocean Park. 

On the other hand, Bohol is fast catching up. In Bohol, they really build good infrastructure and develop areas of interest. Devoid of politicians’ faces in their undertakings, they established the first extreme adventure park in the Municipality of Danao (Province of Bohol). Situated in the interior part of the island, it is more than just a testament of the LGU’s enthusiasm to rise above economic adversities. Operated by a 4th class municipality, this 60-hectare adventure park is a very strong statement that other LGUs must heed, including the Province of Cebu. 

Apparently, Bohol has improved by leaps and bounds. With Danao’s adventure park and the equally world renowned Loboc River’s floating restaurants, Bohol will soon certainly take a larger slice of the pie. 

More importantly, they’ve built basic infrastructures, like good roads. The highways around Bohol and its interiors are all cemented. These excellent roads made all points of interest in Bohol accessible to tourists. The Province of Cebu’s tourism planners need not go beyond Cebu to validate this. They may just conduct an ocular inspection early in the morning at Cebu’s pier one. There, they will see busloads of tourists unloading their wares at the port’s terminal and squeezing in at a fast-craft that leaves at 6:00 A.M. for Tagbilaran.   Tourists went there either because of their knowledge of the places of interest or due to tour organizers’ initiatives.   Whatever prodded them to go, the main reason is, they went there not because a governor fetched them at the port of Cebu but out of their own volition. 

Learning from Bohol, CamSur and Metro Manila, we would realize that tourism is essentially creating places of interest and providing appropriate infrastructures for accessibility. With this approach, Gov. Garcia may not even join the trip just so municipalities under her command may be within the potential tourists’ radars.  

Obviously, however, with the way the activity is undertaken, organizers have different agenda in mind. Notably, the group will just spend an hour in every locality. Do tourists spend just an hour in a place of interest? Definitely not. What will a tourist know about the place if they just drop by for an hour? Is Gov. Gwen spending millions out of taxpayers’ money because she intends to develop a niche market among excursionists or backpackers? Of course, not. For all intents and purposes, she did this not for tourism’s sake. 

Again, we wish to emphasize that in tourism, the focus is the place or its people. Therefore, tourists visit even the remotest areas that interest them. “Suroy-suroy Sugbo” is undertaken differently. Here, the tourists drop in one place, then, the locals (the voters) gather around them. Therefore, the attractions are the tourists (including Gov. Gwen and other political figures), not the places and its people. Sadly, they call this tourism.

With these startling realities right in our faces, let us in unison diagnose the problems.   Honestly, knowing the causes does not need the services of a rocket scientist’s precise mind. What we need is for all of us, unbiased Cebuanos, to equip ourselves with plain and simple common sense and for those clothed with greed to throw away their vested interests.  

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