BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental’s Panaad sa Negros Festival will push through next month notwithstanding the volatile security situation in neighboring Negros Oriental.
The festival was formally launched yesterday afternoon at the Provincial Capitol Park and Lagoon.
The provincial government had been hard at work planning the security for the festivities long before the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental’s Gov. Roel Degamo and either other civilians, said festival director Cheryl Decena, the provincial tourism officer of Negros Occidental.
The agencies leading the festival security and safety preparations are the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
After a three-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Decena expressed confidence that a lot of tourists will join the festivities.
Tourist arrivals are already picking up, she pointed out, and could even beat the target set by the Department of Tourism for Negros Occidental this year.
Decena said they would need to prepare the available accommodations for the thousands of tourists expected to visit the province this year.
The launching of the Panaad sa Negros Festival was originally slated last month. It was postponed to give enough time for the provincial government to reveal the festival’s official logo and song./PN
