Suroy-Suroy Sugbo guests enjoy lunch in Moalboal town in southern Cebu during its 2015 caravan.
(CDN PHOTO/CHRISTIAN MANINGO)
The continuous rain and inclement weather in the last few days have resulted in a relatively fewer participant turnout in the latest leg of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said only around 40 participants pushed through with the tour as most of those who had reserved a slot beforehand had canceled.
Despite the low turnout, Magpale said that this did not diminish the quality or defeated the purpose of the tour, which is to highlight the different scenic spots of the Cebu province.
“But the thing is, dyutay ra ang nikuyog. One bus and one coaster because there were many cancellations kay ngil-ad man kaayo ang weather that day,” she said.
“But anyway, di man gihapon defeated ang purpose kay ang purpose man gyud aning atong kuan is to sell the countryside bisag dyutay ra,”she said.
Dubbed the “Cebu Southern Heritage,” the iconic packaged adventure showcased the Spanish colonial structures of the south such as churches, watchtowers, public buildings and houses, which had been the provincial government’s way of treating local and foreign tourists to see the different scenic spots in the province while promoting ecotourism.
Among the stops in the tour’s itinerary are the Parroquia de Santa Catalina de Alejandria Church in Carcar City, the Cabacera de Argao and Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel Church in Argao, Parroquia Nuestra Senora del Patrocinio de Maria Church and Escuela Catolica in Boljoon, Parroquia Nuestra Senora de la Inmaculada Conception Church, the Oslob Heritage Park and Cuartel, and Sumilon Island and Brumini Resort in Oslob, Sanayon in Santander.
There were also stops in spots in Samboan, Ginatilan Alegria and they stayed overnight in Moalboal and Badian Island and Villa Elliton in Barili.
The three-day, two-night trip ran from January 18 to 20, with package rates varying from P6,000 to P14,000, depending on the accommodations preferred by the participants.
Magpale said that she joined the tour on the first day before heading back to the city and that the tour’s participants were composed of senior citizens, foreign tourists and balikbayans.
“Sa first day, I got to talk to them,” she said.
“Kasabot sila. Lingaw man gihapon sila. Labi na we have very good guides.”
In a previous interview, Cebu provincial tourism officer Boboi Costas said that for this year, they are aiming for a more community-based Suroy-Suroy tour and that they want to evolve it into something sustainable.
Costas said that it cannot be denied that the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour is a marketing event to promote the less-traveled destinations in Cebu, but he emphasized that they want to make it more sustainable in the coming years.