Sagay City brought home three grand winner awards in the component city category of the 2026 Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards, recognizing the city’s work in community-based tourism, sustainable souvenir development, and tourism promotion, in Ormoc City, Leyte, Oct. 21.
The city was named Grand Winner for Best Practices in Community-Based Tourism for its entry, “A Maze of Wonders, A Lifeline for All: The Lapus-Lapus Community-Based Tourism Story.”
Sagay also won Grand Winner for Best Tourism Souvenir – Non-Food Category for “From Waste to Wear: Bilidhon Upcycled Accessories,” and Grand Winner for Best Tourism Promotions: Brochure.
The awards were presented during the 27th ATOP National Convention and Pearl Awards hosted by Ormoc City from Oct. 20 to 22, gathering tourism officers and industry stakeholders from across the country.
The Pearl Awards recognize outstanding local government tourism initiatives, particularly in sustainable tourism, destination management, promotion, and community development.
Mayor Leo Rafael “Bebo” M. Cueva said the three national recognitions reflect the work not only of the City Government but also of the communities and local stakeholders behind Sagay’s tourism programs.
“These awards belong to the communities who continue to protect our natural resources, preserve our culture, create livelihood from their skills, and welcome people into Sagay,” Cueva said, adding, “Tourism becomes meaningful when the people themselves benefit from it.“
The community-based tourism award placed the spotlight on the Lapus-Lapus–Macapagao Local Conservation Area, where conservation has been linked with livelihood opportunities for residents and fisherfolk.
Sagay’s entry had earlier emerged among the top four finalists from 47 entries nationwide in the component city category.
The program highlighted how members of the local community became directly involved in tourism through floating cottages, food services, kayaking and other activities while helping protect the coastal ecosystem.
Lapus-Lapus is a community-managed ecotourism area known for its mangrove forests, seagrass and marine biodiversity, where visitors can experience floating cottages and explore the conservation area by kayak.
The national recognition comes months after the conservation area reopened following rehabilitation from damage caused by Typhoon Tino, with the community and its partners rebuilding tourism facilities in the area.
Meanwhile, Bilidhon Upcycled Accessories earned the city’s second grand award through its “From Waste to Wear” concept, highlighting how discarded materials can be transformed into locally made accessories and tourism products.
The third award recognized Sagay’s tourism brochure, adding a national distinction for how the city packages and communicates its destinations, heritage, communities, and tourism experiences to visitors.
Supervising Tourism Operations Officer Helen Arguelles-Cutillar, who received the awards together with representatives of the City Information and Tourism Office, said the recognitions validate years of collaboration between the city, communities, tourism workers, creatives, and other partners.
“These awards remind us about telling our stories properly, protecting what we have, and creating opportunities for the communities who make these destinations and experiences possible. Every award represents many people working behind the scenes, and we are grateful that their work is being recognized at the national level,” Cutillar said.
She said the three winning entries also represent different sides of Sagay tourism, from a community protecting and earning from its coastal resources, to a locally developed sustainable product, and the storytelling used to introduce Sagay to potential visitors.
The latest wins continue Sagay’s history of recognition at the ATOP Pearl Awards.
In 2022, the city was also named grand winner for Best Practices on Community-Based Responsible Tourism for its Eco-Tourism Enterprise Initiative at the Sagay Marine Reserve First Eco-Tourism Loop and earned recognition for its tourism brochure and culture and arts program.
Vice Mayor Narciso L. Javelosa Jr. said the three national awards reflect the collective work of Sagay’s communities, tourism workers, creatives, and local partners in developing tourism programs that create opportunities while protecting the city’s natural and cultural assets.
“We congratulate everyone behind these initiatives and hope these achievements inspire us to continue building tourism that genuinely benefits our people,” Javelosa said.*
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