‘Suroy-Suroy Sugbo’ worthy of replicating at national level, says incoming DOT secretary
Incoming DOT Secretary and incumbent Liloan town Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco receives a token from DOT 7 director Shahlimar Hofer Tamano and her mother, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia. CDN Digital photo | Wenilyn Sabalo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Christina Garcia-Frasco, the incoming Department of Tourism (DOT) secretary and incumbent mayor of Liloan in Cebu, believes Cebu Province’s Suroy-Suroy Sugbo initiative is worth replicating at a national level.
This she said during an interview with reporters during the Tourism Night held at the Capitol here on Tuesday, June 21, 2022.
“Cebu has shown the benchmark for the effectivity of tourism governance, including Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. This is certainly something that is worth emulating and replicating throughout country. We will study it closely in the hopes of bringing attention to lesser-known tourist destinations in the Philippines,” she said.
The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Program of the Cebu Provincial Government is one of the Province’s tool for promoting local tourism.
The program began in 2004, during incumbent Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia’s first term as Cebu province governor.
The DOT hosted a Tourism Night at the Capitol Social Hall to welcome and to formally express support to Frasco’s appointment as the new head of the country’s tourism department under the administration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
The event was attended by various stakeholders in Cebu’s tourism industry and the whole Central Visayas, foreign diplomats, airline officials, hotel owners, and other local and national government. Among the local officials present were Cebu Provincial board members, Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, Congressman Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon, Congressman Cindi Chan, and Cebu City South District Representative-elect Edu Rama.
Senator-elect JV Ejercito was also in attendance.
DOT-7 director Shahlimar Hofer Tamano, in his message, said despite the effects of COVID-19, super typhoon Odette, and other calamities that hit the region, the DOT-7 remain resilient and is “even celebrating” what it has achieved through hard work and grit.
He also reported that in 2019, about 8.2 million foreign tourists visited the Philippines. A total of 4.5 million of these came to Central Visayas and three million of them stayed in Cebu. The region also had the most number of tourism offerings from natural resources, pilgrimage, medical tourism, among others, making the region the center of tourism in the country.
“A few weeks ago, we have heard a very good news when President-elect Bongbong Marcos announced our new DOT secretary. One of our own…In Cebu, all of our stakeholders express the same eagerness to hit the ground running,” he said.
Likewise, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, in her message, also assured Garcia-Frasco of the support of the entire Cebu in her new stint in the national government.
“Go boldly, with the entire support of the entire Cebu tourism industry as we celebrate Cebu tourism tonight, a deafening signal to the entire country that as you start with your new position, with the entire country to look after, you have the full 101 (percent) support of the entire island of Cebu and all of our tourism stakeholders, stakeholders as your mom and governor of Cebu,” the governor said.
Christina’s husband, Cebu 5th District Representative Duke Frasco, for his part, said he has no doubt that his wife will do “extremely well” in her new responsibility.
“In her new role as secretary of tourism, although, she is not directly from the tourism industry, and she is new to the department, just like in Liloan, I believe Christina will bring the same care, devotion, and love that has made her successful as mayor of Liloan to the Department of Tourism,” he said.
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