CEBU, Philippines – The measure of success for each Suroy-Suroy Sugbo caravan is not the number of guests but how the towns have blossomed and have become tourist destinations even without the caravan going to these places.
Thus said Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia after the provincial government capped the two-day countryside tour called “Enchanting Camotes” last April 21-22 with more than 200 guests joining the tour to the Camotes group of islands.
Camotes got its name from the rootcrop camote (sweet potato) which is abundant on the islands, composed of four municipalities – Poro, San Francisco, Tudela, and Pilar.
The two-day trip around the islands took the visitors not just to the white, sandy beaches of San Francisco and Poro, but also to Tudela’s famous Bukilat cave, which is three- to four-story high with natural lighting and a natural pool with waters dripping from the stalactites.
The trip also brought the guests to the island of Pilar, known for old houses dating back to the Spanish era.
Several ranking officials joined this year’s tour of Camotes, including Chinese Consul General Zhang Wei-Guo.
Barely three months in office, Zhang found the program as a good means of getting to know the area that he will be serving. He said Cebu, particularly Camotes, boasts of a great life, colorful culture and delicious food.
The Suroy-Suroy was started in 2004 as a project of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), and was developed further by the provincial government as regular tours to spotlight the beauty of the Cebu countryside and outlying islands and the hospitality of Cebuanos.
Ceferino Batoctoy, president of the Dalaguete Association of Re-energized Teachers (DART), said he and his 20 members who joined the tour would definitely avail themselves of the other Suroy-Suroy Sugbo packages.
“They are so happy and even asked the governor to make another Suroy-Suroy,” he said.
The last day of the caravan ended in Pilar town where the guests heard Mass at the St. Francis Xavier Church before proceeding to a heritage house for lunch. They then went to taste honey at the Can-ugcay Rainforestation Farmers Association’s bee farm in Barangay Villahermosa.
CCCI president Prudencio Gesta considers the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo as Garcia’s “signature tourism” program that has greatly helped the economy of the local governments.
San Francisco Mayor Aly Arquillano admitted that with the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo, there has been a tremendous increase in tourist arrivals.
“The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo helped Camotes gain recognition from local and foreign tourists,” Arquillano said, adding that the tourism boost has encouraged them to work harder.
An ordinance is now being crafted to institutionalize the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo to ensure its continuity.
Provincial board member Argleigh Sitoy, who joined the Camotes leg of this year’s caravan, experienced first-hand the benefits of the tourism program and its impact on the local governments.
Though belonging to a rival party, Sitoy is helping Garcia by sponsoring ordinances to institutionalize her 12-point agenda, which includes the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo.
Garcia wants to develop a sustainability plan for the towns to help them cope with the tourism growth without destroying the natural environment.
“We will not let development get out of hand to des-troy the essence and charm of Camotes,” Garcia said.
Just recently, Garcia closed the popular Kawasan Falls in Badian town to tourists until illegal structures that block the natural scenery are demolished.
The move is supported by a Japanese professor, Katsuyoku Matsuura, who personally handed to the governor his proposal for an eco-tourism plan for Cebu.
Garcia said Matsuura’s suggestion was timely, especially since the provincial government is finishing the airport in San Francisco.
Garcia will meet with the mayors of Poro, Pilar, Tudela and San Francisco towns to discuss the drafting of a sustainable development plan for the Camotes group of islands.
Garcia is also toying with the idea of transforming the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo into something with a national scope when her term as governor ends in 2013.
If given the chance to hold a higher position, Garcia said she would value most what she has learned as a local chief executive.
Garcia is now being considered for a senatorial post in the 2013 elections, but she has yet to decide what option to take when her term expires in 2013.
Her options include aspiring for a higher national position, running for a local or congressional seat, or returning to her private life and managing her business.
But Garcia gave assurance that whatever her decision would be, she would sustain the work she started as governor. – Freeman News Service