Can we survive on sentiment?

SANTA ANA, Cagayan – Investments have started pouring into this province’s northernmost town, which the Arroyo administration is now marketing as the “Boracay of the North,” transforming this once sleepy town into a world-class tourism site and North Luzon’s center for economic growth.

Now housing several online gaming facilities, it would also host   P500-million hotel facilities.

Santa Ana, which is home to Cagayan Export Zone Authority (CEZA),  had just held its third Viray Festival, which began with a grand fluvial parade showcasing the town’s cultural heritage and tourism potentials.

Besides the multimillion-peso  five-star hotel to be put by the Eastern Hawaii Leisure and Resort Corp., one of CEZA’s major investors, President Arroyo had also led the groundbreaking ceremonies last year for the construction of world class villas  nearby to host both foreign and local tourists.

Mayor Norberto Rodriguez said this year’s festival, which started yesterday, was intended to further showcase this scenic and marine-rich coastal town, which has white sand beaches comparable to, if not even better, than the famous Boracay island in Malay, Aklan, as a major tourism destination.

Highlighting the festival was the yearly fluvial parade featuring the colorful wooden bancas or viray.

The three-day event also featured a grand carabao parade, depicting the residents’ diligence and hardwork.

Also seen were a deluge of colorful painted bodies dancing to the beat of native or improvised drums during the street dancing competition, as well as kites of various shapes and sizes during the kite flying competition where the community renewed their solidarity and sense of community.

Viray, now synonymous with the town’s cultural heritage, is a large wooden flat boat used for transporting goods over long distances. It was also used for fishing by the early settlers in Santa Ana, which is almost 700 kilometers north of Manila.

A record holder for the longest flying fish grill at 4.06 kilometers,  Santa Ana, besides having rich delectable seafood also boasts of unspoiled forests and mangroves, especially those located in scenic Palaui Island. The island, where the centuries-old Cape Engaño Light House is also situated, is a government protected area.