Phl's Best Tourism Oriented LGUs Palompon in Leyte, Negros Occidental, Silay City named winners

CEBU, Philippines – Palompon town in Leyte bested 39 others to win as the winner in the municipality category as Best Tourism Oriented Local Government Unit in the Philippines, during the Pearl Awards held in Bacolod City over the weekend.

For the provincial category, the winner was Negros Occidental while for the city category, it was Silay City, also in Negros Occidental.

Among festivals, it was also an all-Visayan roster of winners with Panaad Festival in Negros Occidental getting the award for Best Tourism Event of the Week or Month (provincial category) with Sinigayan Festival of Sagay City for the city category and the Anihan Festival of Dueñas town in Iloilo for the municipal category.

Bacolod City's tourism officer, Severino "Ver" Pacete, placed second in the Outstanding Tourism Officer award, next to Angono, Rizal tourism officer Patnubay Changson.

The Pearl Awards 2014 was the highlight of the 15th annual national convention of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines hosted by the Department of Tourism-Region 6 at the L-Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City on October 4.

Palompon, internationally known for its Kalanggaman Islands, edged out two other finalists in the municipal category: Mystical Kabayan in Benguet where Mt. Pulag and centuries old mummies can be found, and Mainit town in Surigao del Sur where Lake Mainit and Mapaso Hot Springs are located.

Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate received the award from Domingo Ramon Enerio III, chief operating officer and vice chairman of the Philippine Tourism Promotion Board.

Oñate attributed most of the town's success to the private sector. "People's involvement is the essential factor in our tourism success," he told The Freeman, adding that his LGU always consult the privately-run Eco-Tourism Council on related concerns. "If the council needs support through legislation and other matters that need government's intervention, we don't hesitate," he said.

The mayor also said tourist arrivals in his town rose from less than 200 four years ago to 27,000 last year, while tourism revenues soared from about P100,000 in 2010 to over P5 million last year.

This tourism growth in Palompon had also enhanced livelihood opportunities and business in his town, said Oñate who also called on other LGUs in Leyte to be more active in tourism as well.

"It is not always the availability and beauty of a tourist site, but on the kind of program that could draw visitors," said Oñate, adding that majority of tourists in Palompon passed by Ormoc City. — Edgar Allan Vilbar with reports from Lalaine M. Jimenea and Marchel P. Espina