The Negros Occidental provincial government along with one town and eight cities of the province received 25 recognitions during the Pagdayaw 2024: Western Visayas Tourism Awards of the Department of Tourism-6 at a hotel in Iloilo City, on Monday, Dec. 9.
Sipalay City brought home 10 recognitions during the ceremony including various tourism champion awards and nominations for the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award.
The city was recognized as tourism champion in promoting dive tourism, nature and ecotourism, adventure and sports tourism, development and promotion of community-based tourism, and mainstreaming gender and development.
Sipalay was also recognized for having the most number of DOT-accredited tourism enterprises and community tour guides, and as regional nominee for the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Dive Destination and Tourism Desination.
Bago City received three recognitions while the cities of Cadiz, Sagay, Talisay, and Kabankalan received two recognitions each, and Neg. Occ., Silay, Victorias, and Ilog town – one each.
Bago received a Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for eco-tourism, was named tourism champion for mainstreaming gender and development and development of promotion of community-based tourism in the region.
Cadiz City was recognized as one of the top performing LGUs with most number of DOT-accredited tourism enterprises in 2023 and regional nominee at the Philippine Tourism Award for Tourism Destination.
Sagay City was awarded as regional nominee for the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Eco-Tourism Destination, and top performing LGU in the region with most number of DOT accredited tourism enterprises.
Talisay City was also recognized for being a regional nominee for the Philippine Tourism Excellence Award and for its multidimensional product for its efforts as tourism champion in promoting farm tourism in the region.
The province received a recognition as one of the top performing local government units with the most number of DOT-accredited regional tour guides.
Kabankalan City was recognized for its gender mainstreaming in tourism and as one of the top contributing cities in overnight visitor arrivals in the region for 2023.
Ilog town was recognized for its Likha Award: Philippine Tourism Excellence Award for Art Destination, Victorias City was recognized as 4th Place in the DOT’s Tourism Champions Challenge, and Silay was tourism champion for pilgrimage tourism.*