Engr. Nona Vanessa M. Santiago, head of the Iriga Culture, Heritage, Arts, and Tourism (I-CHAT), announced during the flag-raising ceremony this morning that Iriga City has been nominated for the πππ₯π’π§ππ° ππ°ππ«π: π ππ’ππ‘-πππ¬ππ πππ¬ππ’π§πππ’π¨π§ π¨π ππ‘π ππππ«. This nomination, part of the Philippine Tourism Awards for the Bicol Region, recognizes the city’s initiative, βReligious Exploration in Iriga City,β and its efforts in promoting faith-based tourism.
The ceremony also featured Thanksgiving Doxology by the Folkloric Dance Group, celebrating Irigaβs resilience following Typhoon Nika.
In his message, Mayor Rex C. Oliva commended I-CHAT for their dedication to making Iriga a religious tourism hub and highlighted the proactive steps taken by CDRRMC for disaster preparedness, including an Incident Management Team meeting held to ensure readiness.
Adding to the celebration, the Arriba Iriga Amazing Twirlers performed an intermission number, showcasing their talent after securing the 1st Place title in the GINIK Festival Inter-Town Gay Majorettes Competition in Calabanga, Camarines Sur. The group was also awarded Best in Majorette Leader.
Mayor Oliva concluded the event by announcing the upcoming creation of two new offices: the I-CHAT Office and the City Information Digitalization and Communication Office, aimed at enhancing Iriga’s cultural promotion and digital communication efforts.
The ceremony was held at the CDRRMO Multi-Purpose Covered Court on November 11, 2024
(Source: Lungsod Ng Iriga)