‘Experience Talisay’ tourism slogan set

CEBU, Philippines – Talisay City is soon launching its own tourism brand that will center on its being the Aqua City in southern Cebu due to its abundance in water and natural springs.

Officials revealed the branding slogan for the city's tourism will be "Experience Talisay."

Councilor Doroteo Emit, who authored a resolution, said the branding is in congruence to the call of the Department of Tourism for every LGU to create a brand for their respective "tourism products."

Emit said the city government is still in the process of weighing the cost and benefits of carrying out this city brand.

As soon as the new brand is unveiled this month, the city will set a first phase for the brand promotion in the form of advertisements and press releases.

If the council will adopt the slogan, Emit said that all communications, documents, marketing and promotional, as well as educational materials of the city pertaining to tourism, arts and heritage shall bear the slogan.

City Councilor Aldin Diaz, who is the chairman of the tourism council, said the move is expected to create a more positive brand for the tourism industry of Talisay, especially for the upcoming fiesta celebration this October.

"It was agreed, voted and decided upon by majority of the regular members of the City's Tourism and Heritage Council that the branding slogan for the city's tourism shall be 'Experience Talisay,'" Diaz said.

Furthermore, Diaz said the slogan will connote endless possibilities of experiencing tourism in Talisay.

Diaz added that there are more to experience in the city like its famous lechon, among others, which "has a lingering taste, crispier skin and succulent meat."

In 2005, the city launched its first lechon festival, coinciding with the fiesta celebration in honor of the city's patroness Santa Teresa de Avila in October.

The Lechon Festival, which is the highlight of the fiesta, is aimed at entrenching Talisay City as the lechon capital of the Philippines.

Officials and residents want to enshrine its almost 60-year history of distinctive lechon-making.

As the Talisay legend goes, an enterprising lady named Teresa Mancia Olo started the lechon business in 1945. Nang Ising, as she is fondly called, is now over 90. Her distinctive lechon, for which she single-handedly did from slaughtering of the pig to roasting it, became popular among Americans and wealthy families.

She retired in 1975. None of her children followed in her steps but other lechon makers started their own businesses.

Today, Talisay lechon's popularity could be gleaned from the fact that even celebrities have been known to order Talisay lechon and have it delivered to Manila.