BACOLOD City – Local officials welcomed the recommendation of the Department of Tourism Region 6 to visit Bacolod, which it said is a “must-experience” destination.
The DOT suggested eight tourist destinations each in the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, and Iloilo, and the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.
The recommendations were made amid the ongoing closure and rehabilitation of Boracay Island.
Topping the list of the recommended destinations in this capital city is the Bacolod City Government Center.
The city hall is popularly known as the NGC, or the New Government Center, among Bacolodnons.
According to Mayor Evelio Leonardia, the NGC topping the list came as a surprise. But he added that he welcomes it with “much pride.”
“It strengthened the image of NGC as an icon of Bacolod and validates its reputation as a tourist destination,” Leonardia said.
One has not been in Bacolod if one has not been at the NGC, the mayor quipped.
Also in the list are the Negros Museum, Negros Forest Ecological and Biodiversity Foundation, Bacolod Public Plaza and Bandstand, San Sebastian Cathedral and Bishop Palace, Barangay sang Birhen Chapel, Panaad Park and Stadium, and Pope John Paul II Tower.
Councilor Em Ang, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on tourism, said now is a good time to highlight other beautiful destinations in Western Visayas, including Bacolod.
“While we may not have Boracay’s white-sand beaches, Bacolod is one of the country’s best places to visit for a heritage, art, culture and food trip,” Ang added. (With a report from PNA/PN)
