Apayao to showcase culture, attractions in CARAA sports meet

BAGUIO CITY -- Apayao province will highlight its dances, songs, music and artistry during the hosting of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA), the region’s top grassroots sports program from Feb. 27 to March 5.

“We cannot equal or surpass what Abra had in 2018 but we are doing it Apayao style. The municipalities will be tapped to perform and showcase the province’s culture,” Apayao provincial administrator Vincent Talattag said in an interview.

Talattag represented the provincial government during the CARAA 2019 coordination meeting in Baguio on January 11.

“Our focus is not just the opening, but the memory of the whole duration of the event, to make their stay in Apayao more memorable and meaningful,” Talattag said.

The competitions will mostly be at capital town in Luna where the sports complex is located. Some events will be at the other lowland towns like Pudtol, Flora and Sta. Marcela.

The province also made arrangements with the municipal governments to assist the delegates who want to visit the different attractions in Apayao.

“There will be tourism officers stationed at the billeting areas to arrange the visits and assist the delegates who want to see the attractions of Apayao,” Talattag said.

He cited the different attractions that the delegates and the public can visit while in Apayao, including the “Lussok” cave in Luna town which is an underground river with very clear water and the Marag Valley’s rock formation which is also a good place to visit.

In the 1980s, Marag Valley was known as a New People's Army (NPA) lair but is has transformed to be a peaceful place to commune with nature.

The cleanest river, Nagan River, is found in Pudtol town. It also has other tourist attractions to offer.

Sta. Marcela’s Bacut Lake is an eight-hectare man-made lake where visitors can have a boating experience.

Flora town’s caves are all also ready for tourism.

 Talattag said the part of the preparation for Apayao’s hosting of the CARAA is the formation and training of tour guides.

He added that they have also organized poultry and hog farms that can provide the food animal requirement of the over 7,000 delegates coming from the five provinces and two cities of the region.

“We are now 80 percent complete in our preparation. We hope to be at 95 percent level by the end of January,” Talattag said.

In the almost three decades of the sporting event, this year will only be Apayao’s second hosting.

Talattag said the 2013 hosting is new for them and they learned lessons which they looked into for this year’s hosting.

“We are not just hosting the event to host but also to give our people an opportunity to participate through economic activities. That is the only ROI (return on investment) of the province and we will be happy if our people will benefit from our hosting,” he said. (PNA)