11 February 2015 - The Philippines played host once again to nearly 200 visitors escaping sub-zero temperatures in Canada. Dubbed "Winter Escapade 2 - It's More Fun in the Philippines," the customized tour organized by the Philippine Embassy and consular posts in Canada took tourists from the cities of Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver to multiple destinations in Central Visayas, as well as Makati and Manila, from January 30 to February 06.
Visayan hospitality at its best
In Dumaguete, the snowbirds' first stop, the "City of Gentle People" accorded the visitors a grand Daro Sinulog welcome upon arrival at the airport. Enjoying the city's charms, the visitors toured the Siliman University Anthropological Museum, the Negros Oriental Arts and Heritage Center and Dumaguete's relaxing harbor front. The quaint university town impressed the Canadian visitors as a potential retirement destination which is now the second home of some 4,000 expatriates.
From Dumaguete, the group fanned out to Siquijor, Apo Island and Oslob for their island adventures. Foot spas beneath an enchanted 400 year-old balete tree in Lazi, snorkelling with sea turtles in Apo Island and taking selfies with friendly whale sharks in Oslob all made for an unforgettable experience that would keep energies high throughout the tour.
A flash mob welcomed the tourists as they disembarked from their ferry boat at the Bohol sea port. From there, ground handlers whisked off the group to the Loboc River which they cruised with merry entertainment. Adding to Bohol's must-see natural wonders such as the breathtaking Chocolate Hills and adorable tarsiers, performances by the peppy Loboc Ambassador Brass Band during the dinner hosted by Provincial Governor Edgar Chatto on February 01 and the angelic Loboc Children's Choir at the luau organized by the Tourism Promotions Board on February 02 proved to be a master stroke of Boholaño hospitality.
Not to be outdone, Cebu rolled out the red carpet in the towns of Carcar and Argao where colorful fiestas greeted the Canadian snowbirds. Cebu captured the visitors' hearts with bright Cebuano children acting as tour guides and by way of its best delicacies including the lechon, chicharon, torta and suman at mangga.
Canadian connections
In the province of Bohol, the beneficiaries of Canadian development assistance readily acknowledged Canada's hand in creating an enabling environment for local governments to thrive, especially through tourism circuit, product and workforce development under the Canadian-funded Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED). Booths were also set up at the Bellevue Resort to showcase Philippines-Canada partnership in Bohol. Among the exhibitors were the Baclayon Entrepreneurs Association (BEA) and the Baclayon Ancestral Homeowners Association for New Development Initiatives (BAHANDI).
The Philippines' former top envoy to Canada, Ambassador Francisco Benedicto, graciously offered dinner for the entire tour group in Cebu and staged a cultural show which culminated in a preview of the Sinulog, the province's biggest fiesta attended by millions every January.
Ending on a high note
Rounding out the tour's social events, Western Union hosted a lavish farewell dinner with the theme "Sunshine Adventure" on February 05 at the Peninsula Manila. True to the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Western Union awarded winners of its "Like for a Cause" campaign that had participants taking selfies during the tour and uploading their photos on Facebook. Until February 15, the campaign generates PhP 100 per "like" up to a maximum of PhP 500,000 in support of a livelihood program endorsed by the Philippine Foreign Service Posts constituting Team Philippines in Canada.
The tour culminated in a moving wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal monument and a tour of the Presidential Museum and Library at the Malacañan Palace on February 06.
"We ended our heritage tour with Filipino-Canadians expressing gratitude for reviving their Filipino spirit. For making this journey of rediscovery a resounding success, I must thank our partners from the Tourism Promotions Board, the regional offices of the Department of Tourism, our ground handler Rajah Tours and the local governments of Negros Oriental, Siquijor, Bohol and Cebu, as well as Western Union, who all contributed to a truly memorable experience for our visitors.
We take away from this tour not just photos and souvenirs but lasting impressions of local communities that have taken ownership of local economic development through tourism. Everywhere we went, we were welcomed and entertained by the young and old from both government and private sectors. Our experiences in Central Visayas reinforce our faith in our country and people. Already, our participants are looking forward to Winter Escapade 3 in the Bicol region and other equally enjoyable destinations in our beautiful country," Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila P. Garcia concluded. END