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ALBAY SET TO REVIVE MAGAYON FESTIVAL Manila Times 4 March 2008 | 12:10 AM LEGAZPI CITY: For the first time in recent history, the typhoon-ravaged Albay province in the Bicol region is set to share its cultural heritage, food, products and festive spirit with Manila. The Magayon Festival derived its name, magayon, from a Bicolano term that translates to maganda in Filipino. It means beautiful. The festivity itself had been shelved following the series of calamities that hit the province: the eruption of Mount Mayon, the super typhoons, the flash floods, mudslides and landslides, with fatalities numbering a thousand. This year, the provincial government has opted for aqua nor to revive the celebration of Magayon Festival 2008 on April. Organizers are eyeing a month-long festival, which Governor Salceda hopes would bring back the glory of Albay. |
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Salceda told The Manila Times that the provincial government will also put up promotional materials of Magayon Festival for two months in all airports specifically at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as well as other major tourist destinations in the country. This festival theme this year is Albay Rising which would be the focus of the promotional campaign and the month-long schedule of activities covering the various aspects of the good life in Albay. The provincial government has allotted P10 million as operating fund for the festival that would be a cultural showcase aimed to enhance the tourism potential of the province. Joe Briones of the provincial tourism and cultural affairs office is optimistic about the event, while Maria Nini Ong-Ravanilla, tourism regional director said that the Magayon Festival would again turn the province into a major destination in Bicol. Ravanilla said that an effective marketing strategy, the Magayon Festival would be able to attract national and foreign tourists and hit the 200,000 mark in tourist arrivals this year. She said that despite the devastation wrought by two super typhoons in 2006, Albays tourism industry slowly started to recover in 2007 with some 127,000 tourist arrivals, which is equivalent to P84 million in tourism revenues. If the trend continues and Albay hits the 200,000 tourist arrival target this year, this could translate to P150 million in revenues, and the Magayon Festival would be a major factor, Ravanilla said. ›› Rhaydz B. Barcia ‹‹ |
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