Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour packages for Holy Week to be launched on March 16

Medellin bamboo forest, one of the go-to places to cool off this summer. | Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Holy Week packages for tourists in Cebu Province will be launched on March 16, 2021, which the Capitol hopes would bring in more tourists to the province during the upcoming Holy Week.

The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo tour offers a four-day, three-night (4D3N) stay in the Cebu North, South, and the islands of Bantayan and Malapascua, for the pre-Holy Week package and the Holy Week package.

These will be from March 22 to March 25, March 29 to April 1, April 5 to April 8, and April 12 to 15, 2021.

The tours have been categorized on those three schedules, but the price for the accommodations good for two persons, airfare, transportation from the airport to destinations, tour operator, tour guide, travel essentials kit, and lunch meals will remain the same.

Tourists will be given the option to choose the resort or hotel to stay in and their preferred room through different categories.

Tourists will be given the option to choose the resort or hotel to stay in and their preferred room through different categories.

Categories A, B, and C will start at different price points, but the tourists will be given options with it.

Prices may vary per category depending on the choice of accomodation, but are not final until launch.

If a tourist wants to stay alone in a room, or single occupancy, he/she will have to pay for the whole room and the price goes up with it.

The Mactan Cebu International Airport will set up a special lane for the tourists taking these packages.

Cebuanos can also avail of the packages and will save P2,000 as they won’t have to use the airfare inclusion. Their pick-up points will be at the Capitol grounds.

Tourists who want to stay in one resort for the entire 4D3N stay can avail themselves of the staycation package. The P500 lunch meal fee will be deducted from the package rate.

The launching will be led by Governor Gwendolyn Garcia with Department of Tourism (DOT) 7, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7, Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), airline companies Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Air Asia, hotel and resort owners, and tour operators.

Once an authority from the Cebu Provincial Board is secured, Garcia said a contract will be signed between the Province of Cebu and the private sectors on March 16 to formalize the program.

The responsibilities and obligations of the parties will be laid down in the multi-party agreement.

In a meeting Tuesday, March 11, the different stakeholders agreed to run the tour packages for six months.

Garcia said the program aims to fill the occupancy gap in the resorts and hotels in Cebu Province during weekdays because resorts are usually full on weekends but get fewer guests on weekdays.

“Unsa may akong tinguha? We are trying to give as much opportunity as possible to as many resorts because I know you are all suffering. If I could only alleviate that suffering perfectly… but I cannot. I hope that for the majority of you, we can, at least, help,” she said.

Aside from resorts and hotels, the governor said that airline companies, tour operators, tour guides, and bus lines can also gain income from this program.

Travelers coming to Cebu only need to present a valid medical certificate issued within 7 days prior to the travel date; proof of pre-booking at a resort, hotel, or any other accommodation establishment in the Province; and pass symptoms checking or screening at the point of departure and at the point of arrival. /rcg