Suroy-Suroy to go on beyond Gwen's term

CEBU, Philippines - Seeing that Suroy-Suroy Sugbo is an effective tourism tool, the Cebu Provincial Board yesterday approved the institutionalization of the program beyond the term of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Authored by PB Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy, the ordinance was passed on mass motion.

“This ordinance articulates the positive recognition by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Cebu of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo as an effective tool in the promotion of our local tourism and in the development of culture, heritage and arts,” it stated.

However, Rep. Tomas Osmeña described the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo as a “big farce” that is not contributing to the tourism development of the province.

Osmeña said that with the administration of Gov. Garcia, the province has been left out by Camarines Sur, Boracay, Palawan and even Bohol.

“Because of its poor packaging, we’re losing to Camsur,” he said adding that Cebu’s annual tourist arrival is about 300,000, the Suroy-Suroy is only attracting three busloads of visitors every three months and only half of them are tourists.

The tour caravan has four packages - Southern Heritage Trail, Northern Escapade, Discover Enchanting Camotes and Explore the Midwest. The Northern Escapade was just held last weekend with around 300 participants.

The ordinance intends to ensure that the program is sustained, given permanence and becomes an important component of the policy agenda of each and every administration.

The measure also provides for the creation of a Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Commission that shall be chaired by the Governor as chair.

The chairman of the PB committee on arts and culture will be the vice chairman and the members will be composed of the provincial tourism officer as executive director, representative from the Department of Tourism-7, two stakeholders from the travel agencies, president of the mayor’s league, manager of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and the president of the Cebu Tourism Officers Association.

The program was conceived in 2004 by Garcia in partnership with the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry to promote local tourism in the countryside.

The PB recognized the sustainability and effectivity of the program, thus deemed it necessary to provide a legal guarantee that would ensure that the program is maintained and continued in the future even while under different administration.

The program is also seen to allow stronger cooperative linkages between the Province of Cebu and the LGUs, national agencies and private sector.  (FREEMAN)