In the first quarterly meeting of the Camalig Tourism & Cultural Heritage Council, Local Chief Executive, Hon. Carlos “Caloy” Irwin G. Baldo, Jr. emphasized the need for maximized preparation ahead of the Holy Week, traditionally a peak season for tourist arrivals. He highlighted the necessity to augment barangay tanods at tourist spots purposely to increase assistance and security measures.

 

Mayor Caloy also relayed some strategies to revitalize local tourism through putting up additional activities at tourist spots, marketing efforts particularly installation of LED promotional billboards, and widening and construction of more tourism circuits and roads.

 

To promote a culture of warm hospitality, Mayor Caloy encouraged tourism personnel to treat visitors with the same kindness that they would expect for themselves saying, “Kung uno muya tang gibon saton, gibon ta man sa kapwa ta. Pagayunon ta pa po lalo ang ngaran san Camalig”.

 

Councilors Hon. Noel Muñoz, Hon. Ysable Dino, and Hon. Felipe Napa, Jr. collectively recognized the need to expand the town’s accommodation facilities. They called for the construction of more hotels and meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) facilities to cater to the increasing number of tourists attracted by Camalig’s tourist spots.

 

Municipal Tourism & Cultural Heritage Office (MTCHO) chief, Mr. Jed L. Villanueva, presented tourism statistics, noting a significant number of same-day visitors at 176,000, while overnight stays in local hotels were reported at 1,751 for non-foreign tourists and 22 for foreign tourists last year. The increase was attributed to “tourism redemption”, a circumstance wherein tourists are more eager to explore tourist spots following the pandemic’s decline, the department head explained.

 

The council further discussed preliminary plans for the annual Pinangat Festival and the Camalig Town Fiesta, with Mr. Villanueva requesting members and other stakeholders to submit proposals for activities.

The meeting also highlighted the creation of the “Camalig Hymn”, which is set to muster the participation of composers, historians, and local artists to contribute to the said endeavor, with the end goal of fostering a sense of pride and unity among residents, and for LGU-Camalig to finally have a distinct promotional material in the form of a song.

 

Local Economic Development & Investment Promotions Officer (LEDIPO), Ms. Karen Bolaños also outlined the objectives of her office in promoting local products. She emphasized how these efforts not only bolster the local economy by creating opportunities for residents but also play a crucial role in the broader tourism promotion strategy of Camalig.