The city government of Sagay and the provincial government of Negros Occidental were cited for their heritage and tourism attractions during the virtual convention of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP).
Provincial Tourism Officer Jennylind Cordero said the virtual convention in partnership with the Department of Tourism and Tourism Promotions Board was held to celebrate ATOP’s 21st year.
During the “PinasForward! Let’s move as one to revitalize our country’s tourism industry” virtual convention on Wednesday, November 4, Sagay City was announced as the grand winner of the “Pinasarap” contest for its “Ginataan Nga Ugbos Sang Balinghoy na May Banag.”
“The dishes submitted for ‘Pinasarap’ gave us a look into the various recipes and preparation methods that have been passed down from generation to generation that best represents the cultural heritage of each locality,” ATOP said.
It added that Sagay’s winning dish was “made with local, harvested ingredients that capture the cultural heritage of Colonia Divina. This dish is made with a few ingredients but comes together beautifully.”
Next to Sagay was Lucban, Quezon for “Hardinera” and San Pablo City, Laguna for its “Ginataang Hipon Palakpakin at Pinayte.”
For the videos created for “Move Your Destination Forward!” that feature the different tourist attractions of each locality along the changes these destinations have made to kickstart tourism amid the pandemic, the province of Negros Occidental was declared the winner in the Visayas category.
Winner in Luzon was Mauban town, Quezon, and the province of Davao del Norte for Mindanao, while the grand winner was the city of Manila.*