TRAVEL TALK

After the overwhelming victory of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao, the eyes of the world is once again focused on the Philippines! The last euphoria that we experienced as a nation that brought worldwide publicity were the Edsa 1 & 2. This time, we got the best and most positive tourism publicity that we have ever had in a long time. The world saw us once again as a people united in spirit. What a proud and happy people we were! We showed the world that we could be one, if we had a good reason for it. And it took only one humble, determined, and God-fearing Filipino to do it....Manny Pacquiao! Salamat Manny! We owe you our admiration and a great debt of gratitude for uniting our nation in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of our kapwa Filipino. We hope and pray, that your sacrifice will not go to waste.

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Our Sinulog Fiesta was a great success and it is without a doubt that our visitors from other countries had a grand time celebrating the feast of our Sñr. Sto. Niño with us. The endless number of people who joined the procession in His honor, brought tears to many eyes. One cannot imagine where the endless flow of devotees came from. It was truly a touching scene which must have brought a smile to our beloved Sto. Niño face. Watching the Sinulog parade replay on TV even made me appreciate it more. What a spectacle! How very Filipino! Governor Gwen Garcia was stunning in her white terno and first Lady of Cebu Margot Osmeña was resplendent in her costume while both danced to the Sinulog beat. Where in the world can you find VIPs participating in a Mardi Gras? As the saying goes: ONLY IN THE PHILIPPINES!

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The Cebu Chamber of Commerce is busily preparing for the CEBU BUSINESS MONTH (CBM) this coming May 26 to June 30, 2006 and I am happy to be a part of it as CBM's Tourism Committee Chairman. In their official act as CBM's Overall Chairman Mr. Txabi Aboitiz & CCCI Vice-Pres.Mr. Bob Gothong along with other officers of the chamber paid a courtesy call to Mayor Osmeña who gave the group his all out support. The Chamber has chosen INVEST CEBU as its slogan for this year and the whole month's activities will be gird at showcasing CEBU as an investment haven. Investors from other countries will be invited to come and interact with the local investment stakeholders, who will have the opportunity to join the TRADE EXHIBIT at venues that will be announced later. The officers of CBM also paid a courtesy call to Gov. Gwen Garcia and layed out the aims of this year's CBM with a request for the governor to PUT SOME TEETH into CBM's INVEST CEBU activities by providing Cebu province with a bureau that will attend to the needs of the investors who are expected to come for the event. As the appointed Chairperson for the Committee on Tourism, and with the able assistance of two dedicated members of the Chamber, Mr. Lito Fruelda, who will head the Trade Exhibits, and the one-and- only Dr. Mila Espina, who will head the ARTS & CULTURE show as well as the REGIONAL TOURISM CONGRESS, I have every reason to believe that this year's CBM will be another contribution to the Cebu Success Story. It is the Cebuano spirit of self-help that makes Cebu what it is today! Another tourism activity that the CBM Tourism Group hopes to continue is the Suroy-Suroy Sa Sugbo which will enable the local investors, Balikbayans, and the residents of Cebu and other neighboring cities, to see for themselves the tourism potentials that the province of Cebu has to offer. As you read this column, we will have visited all the southern towns and cities of Cebu in our Suroy Suroy Sa Cebu Part II, which was initiated, organized and subsidized by no less than Governor Gwen herself and I am looking forward to sharing this experience with you in our next Sunday issue. Let us not allow the spirit of oneness to die down! Let us all put our heads and hearts together, to achieve the greatness that we long for, for our city and country....CEBU, PHILIPPINES!

For your comments and inputs, you can reach me at Delmar Travel & Tours, Inc. at (32) 2536561 & 2536571 or at my email: [email protected].