BACOLOD City – Three cities in Negros Occidental won top prizes at the 2018 Pearl Awards of the Department of Tourism and Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (DOT-ATOP) held at Limketkai Luxe Hotel in Cagayan de Oro City on Friday night.
Sagay City was elevated to the Hall of Fame after winning Best Tourism Week/Month Celebration in the City Category for three consecutive years.
Sagay tourism officer Helen Javier Arguelles and her staff along with Provincial Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Cristine Mansinares received the award.
Sagay also won second place for Best Practices on Community-Based Responsible Tourism for the “The Suyac Island Journey: Coastal Communities Resource Advocacies to Boost Sustainability” program.
Sipalay City was awarded anew as grand winner in Best Tourism Event (Sports) City Category for its Tourism Kite Festival.
Bacolod City placed third in Best Tourism Week/Month Celebration City Category.
Last year, the province of Negros Occidental also made it to the Hall of Fame for Panaad sa Negros Festival, which was hailed Best Tourism Event-Provincial Festival category for three straight years — in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Mansinares lauded the winning local government units as all of the entries from Negros Occidental made it to the top three.
“May they continue to inspire other localities to push for excellence in their tourism activities and programs,” she said.
The best tourism practices recognition was launched in 2005 in Bacolod City. (PNA)
