BY HELEN J CATALBAS
STEERING and working committees of Paskwa sa Maragtas featuring the whole of Capiz province as a gigantic Christmas Village from Dec. 1 to 31 have started implementing their action plans.
The month-long event is a partnership project of the Provincial Government of Capiz headed by Gov. Fredenil H. Castro, a charismatic leader, and Maragtas Foundation led by visionary businessman Bob Ong of the Pueblo de Panay Group of Companies alongside various progressive-minded business groups in the province.
Capiz local governments, travel and tourism-related establishments, academic and training communities, mass to luxury vehicle dealerships, malls and shopping centers with their tenants, food and beverage producers, health, wellness and lifestyle shops, optical, dental and medical facilities, fresh seafood suppliers, traders and sellers, processed food, beverage, souvenir and pasalubong manufacturers, and other suppliers of goods, facilities and services rally behind, support and participate in this event known as the 1st CAPIZ GRAND SHOPPING and TRAVEL SALE in the whole province of Capiz on Dec. 26-31, 2023. It is the year-ender event in the Christmas Village Paskwa sa Maragtas calendar.
The 1st CAPIZ GRAND SHOPPING and TRAVEL SALE is the maiden partnership project of the Provincial Government of Capiz and the MICE Alliance of Capiz (MAC) headed by pioneering investor Dr. Abundio Balgos, chairman, strongly supported by Michelle del Rosario (vice chair) and Joy Ortiz-Ignacio (secretary), with a host of other positive thinking business enterprises and groups in the province.
Energetic travel and tour operator JR Fermicilla is Executive Director while live wire Capiz Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Alphonsus D. Tesoro is Head Secretariat and Chief of MICE Action Center.
The first of its kind in the history of Capiz, the grand sale will happen province-wide, not only in one street, one barangay or one municipality but in all 16 municipalities and the capital, Roxas City all at the same time.
Participating entities will treat buyers in the grand sale at the actual locations, as is, where is basis. There will be no crowding as the grand sale will be spread all over Capiz province.
Huge discounts, twinnings and bundle sales in consumer goods, travel and tours, resorts and hotel experience and many more are up for the taking by Capiz residents and their visitors from all over Western Visayas and the Philippines.
Foreign visitors who want to experience end- of- the- year sale in the Capiz setting are most welcome.
The 1st Capiz Grand Shopping and Travel Sale will feature around 200 seller-participants and exhibitors among a resident population base of around 800,000.
The province of Capiz has 1,200 accommodation rooms in hotels, resorts, condotels, inns and pension houses. Expansion plans of the accommodation sector are soon to be implemented together with the 5,000-seating capacity convention center that will soon be a reality. Airlines pledged additional flights with more Meetings, Incentives, Conventions/Conferences and Exhibitions/Events (MICE) happening in Capiz.
MICE Tourism is one of the tourism product offerings of the province of Capiz with the other two products identified by the tourism stakeholders during a direction setting workshop last year as Culture and Heritage Tourism and Nature-based and Agri-Fishery Tourism.
What are you waiting for? Plan your trip to Capiz this merry month of December and shop to your heart’s content!!!/PN
