By Gladys Pino/PNA
TAGAYTAY CITY, Cavite — Given the Filipinos’ fondness for taking “selfies” (self-portraits), a senior Department of Tourism (DOT) official leveraged this famous social media trend to campaign for the preservation of the region’s tourism sites.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the 1st Calabarzon Tourism Expo held at the Fora Mall here Friday, Nelly Nita N. Dillera, director of the DOT’s Office of Industry Manpower Development, said the various risks and issues threatening the industry today could be summed up into POSE — pollution, over tourism/overcrowding, social issues, and environmental degradation.
Dillera, who formerly served as DOT director for the Soccsksargen region (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) in Mindanao, advised tourism stakeholders “to think what they can do and contribute” every time they visit the region’s tourism destinations.
She noted that pollution is a global threat that leads to other environmental issues.
This, she said, coupled with the various structures overtaking the country’s natural and cultural landscapes are plaguing the tourism industry, which is considered a potent tool for community and national development, represents 10 percent of the gross domestic product, and provides 10 percent of jobs.
Dillera expressed hope that tourists would think of POSE when they travel since tourism is linked to other sectors, for instance, agriculture (farm, agri tourism).
She said the industry has also evolved to include craft, nature/environment, culture, history, heritage, and culinary delights, involving all people, including persons with disabilities (PWDs), senior citizens and pregnant women.
DOT 4-A (Calabarzon) officer-in-charge, Marites T. Castro expressed hope to embarked on this tourism expo annually.
The three-day expo, which ends Sunday, is part of the region’s strategies to aggressively promote its best tourism destinations, products, cultural presentations, cuisine and services.
Provinces under the region — Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon – were well-represented in the exhibit area, as well as in the culinary sampling of famous delicacies shared to guests.
These delicacies included “pancit posit” (squid noodles) and Valenciana — both popular in Cavite; “bulalo” (beef shanks and beef marrow bones) soup and fried “tawilis” (fresh water sardinella) from Batangas; “budin” (a native delicacy of Quezon), and its famous “longganisang” Lucban.
Seen at the opening event were provincial tourism heads, travel and tour owners, tourism students, local tourism chiefs, and travelers, who came to explore the countless tourism promises of Calabarzon, the nearest complete destination area from Manila.
