(Photo Courtesy: JOEY REYNA)
VICTORY. A known farming enthusiast
(Photo Courtesy: JOEY REYNA)
Return of Balangiga Bells to help draw in tourists, says Tiopes
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar – The return of the historic bells to the town is sure to boost its tourism industry.
Thus said, Karina Rosa Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism, citing possible impact on the repatriation of the three bells to this town.
To recall, the US government has formally turn over the bells to the Philippine government on November 15(Philippine time) in a simple ceremony at the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where two of the three Balangiga Bells were put in display for more than a century.
The other bell is located at Camp Red Cloud, a US camp located in Uijeongbu City, South Korea.
But Tiopes said that more than the excitement and the tourism aspect on the return of the bells will bring, Filipinos should learn the lessons and what the bells symbolizes.
“There are lessons that we can learn from this historical event which we can apply in our present time like patriotism that is an important obligation for us Filipinos. We need to be patriotic to show our love for our country,” Tiopes said.
Town priest Serafin Tybaco, Jr. said that the local Church and the local government are to meet on November 23 to discuss on what activities to do relative to the return of the bells to the town.
“This is the first time for this meeting. I’m not yet aware of what are to be discussed but it is all about the return of Balangiga Bells,” Tybaco Jr., parish priest of Saint Lawrence the Martyr, said.
He said that it’s not only the Church that is happy on the return of the bells, but the entire people of the town, in particular.
“This is a long-time dream for the people of Balangiga and for the Church that the bells should be return,” Tybaco said.
For almost four decades, parish priests who were assigned in Balangiga made petitions for the return of the three bells.
President Rodrigo Duterte had asked the US government for the return of the bells during his State of the Nation Address in 2017.
War veterans, both Filipinos and Americans, also helped in the call for the return of the bells.
The Balangiga Bells were taken on October 18, 1901 by the 11th Infantry Regiment as spoils of war after the Balangiga Incident that happened on September 28, 1901, when town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers under Company C of the 9th US Infantry Regiment.
Of the 74 US troops, 36 were killed during the attack, eight of the wounded died later during the escape by bancas to Basey town, and four were missing and presumed dead.
Around 2,500 Filipinos were killed by the US retaliatory attack that turned the town and the entire Samar into a “howling wilderness”.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Capul Lighthouse, now fully restored, expected to draw tourists to the island-town of N. Samar
(Photo:Capul Tourism Office)
CAPUL, Northern Samar- After more than a year of restoration works, the Spanish-era lighthouse of this town is now in full use as it now serves among the town’s main tourist attractions.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has officially turned over the Capul Island Lighthouse, as the structure is officially called, to the municipal government on October 24 during a simple rites.
NHCP financed the repair of the Capul Lighthouse at a cost of more than P25 million.
The Capul Lighthouse, which was intended to serve vessels during that time, was declared as a national historical landmark on September 29, 2013.
The Capul Lighthouse is one of the few surviving lighthouses in the country which was built in October 1893 under the supervision of the late Francisco Perez Munoz.
It was first lighted in December 1896 while the station was still partially completed. However, its construction was suspended a month before in November of same year at the onset of the Philippine revolution.
But on same year the pavilion was finished during the American era.
The Capul Lighthouse, located in Titoog Point, Barangay San Luis, was declared by the provincial government of Northern Samar during the administration of Governor and now congressman, Raul Daza as a provincial historical landmark in October 2008.
The municipal government envisions the Capul Lighthouse to be among its biggest tourism draw.
Present during the turn-over were NHCP executive director Luduvico Badoy, former governor Madeleine Mendoza-Ong, town officials led Vice Mayor Joselito Catucod, and Lt. Paterno Belarmino, Jr., Coast Guard commander for Northern Samar.
(PETER D. PAREDES)
EV joins grand NorthPhil show in Clark
CLARK, Pampanga – Eastern Visayas region joined on the recently-held NorthPhil Expo 2018 held at SM City Clark together with two other Visayan regions under the One Visayas.
The NorthPhil Expo or North Phil Tourism and Travel Expo marks NorthPhil’s rise as a tourism super-region and global destination, with CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region) as a hub for natural wonders, Ilocos Region for history and culture, Cagayan Valley for all-terrain adventures, and Central Luzon for sports, agri-tourism and culinary escapades.
The presence of Visayas regions at the NorthPhil optimized the promotion of the Eastern, Central and Western Visayas to new market not only targeting tourists coming from Region 3 but also those coming from northern Luzon.
“This is strategic marketing because we are not only targeting Region 3 but the northern Philippines,” Director Karen Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT), said.
“We share one booth with two other Visayan regions because we are also trying to come up with a circuit with Central and Western Visayas. We already have the concept of what kind of tour packages that we are trying to provide,” she added.
The existence of flight to Clark Airport helps tourists to have better connectivity with other tourist destinations in the Visayas.
A direct flight from here is now being offered to Eastern Visayas through the airports in Catarman, Northern Samar; Calbayog City and Tacloban City.
A tourism circuit with Central and Western Visayas is also being developed by the three regional offices of the DOT.
“What is common among the three of us (is) number one is diving. The best dive sites are found in the Visayas areas which we are developing hopefully by early next year we can come up with a tour program that will be sold by tour operators of the three regions. One common tour program, tours that are going around the three regions,” Tiopes added.
Meanwhile, DOT Undersecretary Art Boncato, in his message during the opening of NorthPhil Expo on November 16, underscored the importance and responsible use of social media in tourism promotion.
“We have to utilize this in our own advantage and we are calling for our partners and stakeholders in the tourism industry to use social media platform in a positive voice especially in promoting our culture, our people, and our history,” Boncato said.
“Instead of joining the trolls, we should be conscious and let just focus in promoting what is good and what is true,” he added.(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban City slates activities for national children’s month celebration
TACLOBAN CITY – The city government of Tacloban has kicked off activities for the 2018 National Children’s Month Celebration last November 6, starting with a mass for children at the Sto. Niño Church.
On Friday,(November 16), around 4,000 day care pupils coming from the 67 day care centers of the city, along with their parents and teachers, participated in a parade and a program held at the Balyuan Grounds to mark the official start of activities.
Other activities slated for the month-long celebration are a playground demonstration, literary and musical contests on November 23 at the Balyuan Amphitheater.
The Theme for this year’s celebration is “Isulong: Tamang Pag-aaruga para sa lahat ng bata.”
By virtue of Republic Act No. 10661 signed on May 29, 2015, the National Children’s Month is observed every November to create awareness on the plight and importance of Children in nation-building.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA)