Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr., (left) Philippine ambassador to the United States, expresses his appreciation for the dancing inmates’ performance yesterday at the Cebu Provincial Detention Rehabilitation Center.
(CDN/TONEE DESPOJO)
SOME visiting diplomats and their families were impressed with what they have seen in Cebu on their first day here.
“Cebu definitely looks better than Manila,” said Doreen Flippin, a member of the 10th Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT).
John Salceda, another delegate, said he was amazed by the changes in the city’s landscape.
“I heard that it looks totally different from the way it looked before and it really is. It makes me happy to see so many developments happening in the city,” he said.
“I will definitely be telling people I know in the States to come visit Cebu,” he added.
Other delegates said they would definitely be coming back to Cebu and will encourage others to visit the city as well.
The tour is part of efforts by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board Philippines (TPBPHL) to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said US embassies and consulates will endorse Cebu and the rest of the Philippines as tourist destinations.
“The Philippines is no longer the ‘sick man’ of Asia. The group has seen the transformation of the country. It is more dynamic and more vibrant,” he said.
In line with endorsing tourism in Cebu and other Philippine islands, the Department of Tourism in New York will be showcasing in September the developments and improvements made in the country through a photo exhibit.
A display featuring the prehistoric gold collection in the Philippines will also be presented in the Asia Society Headquarters in New York from September 2015 to January 2016.
Both events were organized to actively entice more foreigners to visit the country.
During day 1 of their Cebu tour, the delegates were taken to the Profoods International Corp., a fruit processing facility in Mandaue City; the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) to see the dancing inmates; and Magellan’s Cross and Basilica del Sto. Niño.
The delegates will be taking a trip to the southern part of Cebu today, passing through Carcar, Argao, Dalaguete and Sibonga to see historical landmarks and cultural heritage sites.
As many as 170 delegates were present during day 1 of the tour. Along with Cuisia, there were nine United States consul generals and two senators from Guam.
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