As health restrictions fall following improving conditions since last year, Cagayan de Oro City Hall aims to promote local tourism both in the hinterlands and inner barangay areas, an administration councilor said on Wednesday.
‘As far as our tourist destinations go, our campaign is to encourage the tourists to go upland. We have no springs and waterfalls here (in the city proper) so we should bring the tourists to the hinterlands,’ said Councilor Jay Roa Pascual in Visayan during the ‘Ang Inyong Konseho Karon’ program hosted by the City Information Office.
Pascual, who chairs the 20th City Council’s tourism committee, said Cagayan de Oro City’s location as the center of commerce and tourism in northern Mindanao means it draws visitors from neighboring areas and those from other parts of he country and abroad.
‘They usually pass through Cagayan de Oro City and most of our tourist draws like malls are located downtown,’ Pascual said.
‘It’s different in the uplands and we really need to enrich our tourist spots there. Since we’ve cemented the roads already so people can now reach far flung barangays. And it’s very important and timely because the people living in the hinterlands need to earn extra income,’ Pascual said.
For next month’s annual celebration of Cagayan de Oro’s Higalaay Festival, City Hall lined up several activities in the barangays.
One such barangay level event is the ‘Oro Fiesta Sa Baryo’, the newest and one of the core events readied by City Hall for the Higalaay Festival.
Both Pascual and City Tourism Officer Rico Libre explained that the ‘Oro Fiesta Sa Baryo’ to be held at the Pelaez Sports Center.
Libre said the program consists of old school games to be participated mostly by the city’s youths.
‘Because culture is really important and with the people currently preoccupied with their gadgets and online games, so we need to give importance to our old school games where we have our roots,’ Pascual said.
Another city fiesta tourism activity, the ‘Suroy Sa ‘Ta’ involves a tour of Cagayan de Oro City’s historical and religious sites and will be held on Aug. 7-11, he said.
(News and photo courtesy of CIO CDO)