Expo showcases Cebu 4th district products

CEBU, Philippines — Local government units in the fourth district of Cebu showcased their delicacies, destinations, and local products as R' Cebu re-opened Friday, March 18.

The finest from Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Medellin, San Remigio, Santa Fe, Bogo City, Tabogon, and Tabuelan are on display at the Robinsons Galleria Cebu at the North Reclamation Area, Cebu City. The expo will be until Sunday, March 19.

With the theme, "Summer Kick Off sa Cuatro Distrito," the municipalities revealed some of the best destinations people could visit this summer.

Ruby Bacolod, the tourism officer of Sta. Fe, said the Balidbid Lagoon is one of their best tourist destinations.

According to Sugbo.ph, Balidbid Lagoon, known as "Suba" by locals in Bantayan Island, is a serene and scenic spot where the river rendezvous with the sea. Its outstanding feature is a sandy shore that curves along the serpent-shaped lagoon.

"You can commune with nature. It is a protected area. It is very nice with white sand and not mud. So, the lagoon is a good place for you to be there in Sta. Fe," Bacolod added.

Bacolod shared how their municipality had always participated in and supported the R' Cebu program since it first started.

For Jocelyn "Joy" Tan, Bogo City's tourism officer, the city's Capitancillo Island would be the best place to visit, which she described as the perfect place for water activities such as diving, snorkeling, and kayaking.

Tan expressed her gratitude toward the program for giving local government units (LGUs) like them time to present the beauty of their area.

Meanwhile, Joanna Salazar, the tourism officer of Madridejos, described it as flattering to participate once again as one of the program's founders.

She narrated how the concept of R' Cebu started from everyone's eagerness to travel to destinations, particularly in Cebu City, during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was quite a challenge due to stringent restrictions and regulations.

"So, we thought, what if we bring Cebu Province to Cebu City? So, those who cannot travel would experience Cebu," said Salazar.

When asked about the best place to go in Madridejos for summer, Salazar said it would be the Kota sa Madridejos or the Kota Heritage Park.

Kota Park is the colonial-era fortress in Madridejos, where you can see some artifacts and photos and enjoy the view of the bay.

First launched in January 2021, R' Cebu primarily targeted to boost Cebu's economy, which had drastically deteriorated during the pandemic.

The annual expo will have a total of six legs. Each leg will feature one district in every three-day expo.

"We decided to launch this expo because we needed tourism and economic recovery. So all the products from provinces, we brought them here. We catered to locals, so at the time, we were helping each other," said Marti Ybañez, the Cebu Provincial Tourism Officer.

"I'm asking everybody to please, please drop by at Robinson's Galleria for the R' Cebu," she added.

Ybañez said that last February, they were able to generate about P400,000 in income for the R' Cebu featuring the fifth district. She stated that for this leg, they are hopeful to at least generate a P500,000 income.  – JMD (FREEMAN)