Month: September 2020

The Province of Pangasinan delegation, headed by Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Officer Maria Luisa A. Elduayan, threw in their full support to the launching of the “Ridge and Reef Baguio City – Region 1 Travel Corridor” in Baguio City last September 22, 2020. 

Governor Amado I. Espino III delivered his words of support through a video message during the launching program, led by the Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, with Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, and La Union Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega. Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson also delivered his message of support thru a video.

The day’s activities also featured the official launching of the Baguio City Visitor Information and Travel App (VIS.I.T.A) as well as a mini travel and trade fair showcasing samples of Region 1’s products and destinations. 

The Pangasinan delegation were also joined by the members of the Pangasinan Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agencies (PTOTA) and LGU Bolinao Tourism Officer Ms. Mary De Guzman.

In line with the 2020 Pangasinan Tourism Month celebration, the Provincial Government of Pangasinan, thru the Provincial Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office will be hosting a video making contest entitled, “Stay Safe in Pangasinan”. With this year’s theme, “Tourism: Building Peace! Fostering Knowledge!” the contest aims to gather entries from the province’s LGUs and accommodation establishments that showcase their best practices in implementing the safety protocols and public health activities that ensure the safety of tourism establishments’ workforce and travelers as the world shifts to the New Normal.

Participants may submit entries according to two categories, with Category A consisting of sub-categories mainly: Beaches and Islands, Pilgrimage, Industry, History and Heritage, Farm and Eco-Tourism. Category B focuses on entries from accommodation establishments that have secured either a Certificate of Authority to Operate (CAO) or a Provisional Certificate of Authority to Operate (PCAO).

The deadline of submission is on September 24 (Thursday) at 5:00 PM. Winners from both categories will receive a cash prize of Php 10,000, a trophy, and a 1-year FREE promotion in the Pangasinan Tourism website and social media accounts. The final results will be announced on September 30, during the PTCAO Patalisiwan Quiz Bee via FB Live.

Last September 3, 2020, the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed its full support for the Ridge and Reef Corridor Plan between Baguio City and the four provinces of Region 1.

The mayor of Baguio City and the four governors of Region 1 signed an exploratory Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote tourism and stability amidst the COVID-19 pandemic within Baguio City, La Union, Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur (BLUPISIN). Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat attended the meeting shortly after speaking at the 111th Baguio City Day celebration and signed the exploratory MOU as one of the witnesses.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of mirco, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the region were affected. In order to jumpstart domestic tourism and support the local businesses within their respective provinces, local and provincial leaders agreed on the implementation of the Ridge and Reef Corridor Plan to create a strategic travel bubble between the provinces of Region 1 and Baguio City. With BLUPISIN sharing similar health and safety protocols according to their shared Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) status, the Ridge and Reef Corridor Plan aims to put seamless travel between provinces into practice and likewise instill economic recovery and stability in the regional tourism industry.

Present at the said meeting with Secretary Romulo-Puyat were: Pangasinan Gov. Amado I. Espino III, Ilocos Norte Gov. Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, Ilocos Sur Gov. Ryan Luis Singson, La Union Provincial Information and Tourism Officer Adamor Dagang (representing Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III), and Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Chief Operations Officer Maria Antonette Velasco Allones, Intramuros Administrator Atty. Guiller Asido, DOT- Region I regional director Joseph Francisco Ortega, who also represented La Union Gov. Francisco Emmanuel Ortega and DOT-CAR officer-in-charge Jovy Ganonga also witnessed the signing of the MOU.