NorthPhil Expo 2010 kicks off at SM City Clark today
MANILA, Philippines - The members of practically all the various sectors of the tourism industry have gone North to open the much-awaited North Philippines (NorthPhil) Tourism and Travel Expo 2010 at the Event Center of SM City Clark today.
Scheduled to run up to Sunday, the NorthPhil Expo 2010 will be opened by government and industry leaders spearheaded by the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional offices in Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley and Ilocos, their constituent local officials and consumers, and various guests from all over the country.
The opening ceremony kicks off with a doxology and singing of the National Anthem by the Holy Angel University Chorale, and inspirational talks by Aurora Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo and Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda. The keynote speech will come from Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, who will be represented by Assistant Secretary Benito Bengzon Jr.
The guests and mall visitors will be feted with a spectacular parade on the Ibon-Ebun (Birds and Eggs) Festival of Candaba, Pampanga, with the performers clad in different duck costumes.
DOT-Central Luzon director Ronnie Tiotuico said this big gathering of industry leaders from both the government and the private sector would underscore the significance of the northern Philippines as a major component of the country’s tourism spectrum.
The event also kicks off with a colorful performance by the Pampanga Provincial Brass Band around the mall.
Following these activities are presentations by the DOT regional offices, the Crimson Resort and Spa and the Matabungkay Beach Resort, and cultural shows by the DOT headquarters in the Cordilleras and Ilocos region.
The presentations usher in the ribbon-cutting rites signaling the formal opening and tour of the exhibits, which showcase the finest tourism destinations, products and services in North Philippines and other parts of the archipelago.
Nonetheless, the exciting presentations continue as the province of Pampanga, Microtel Hotel and the Philippine Retirement Authority take their respective turns.
This daylong festivity is capped by a welcome reception at The Meeting Place of SM City Clark hosted by the provincial government of Pampanga.
The following day starts at 10 a.m. with the viewing of the exhibits, followed by a musical show by the world-renowned PUP Banda Kawayan of Bataan, and a hosted lunch for buyers and sellers.
Then come the cultural presentation of the province of Tarlac, the Pampanga Agents and Travel Society (PATS) Hour, the Cebu Pacific Corporate Game Show and Raffle, the Subic Bay Hour of game shows, cultural performances and animal show, the DOT-Cagayan Valley cultural presentation, the Aurora Hour, the Zambales Resort Owners Association’s corporate presentations, and the Zambales Hour.
For the third and final day, the expo includes a Sunday Mass with Our Lady of Piat of Cagayan Valley, the presentations by the Philippine Retirement Authority and Camarines Sur, other corporate presentations, the Bulacan Hour, the CDC (Clark Development Corp.) Hour, and the Central Luzon Tourism Council’s “NorthPhil’s Gut Talent.”
The expo culminates in an awarding and closing ceremony with a video playback of the interesting highlights of the three-day event.
Now a yearly festivity, the NorthPhil Expo is described by Tiotuico as a “tourism attraction” by itself as it attracts a consistently growing number of exhibitors and visitors annually.
This phenomenon is partly attributed to the increasing role of Clark and Subic as international gateways to North Philippines, and the continued development of other infrastructure in the region.
“These developments deserve an effective marketing tool like the NorthPhil Expo to promote the region as a start-off point for a tour of the entire archipelago,” Tiotuico said.
Supported by the Central Luzon Tourism Council, the expo is a project of the DOT offices in CAR, Ilocos and Pangasinan, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, and managed by the Philippine Exhibits and Theme Parks Corp.
