Santiago fest gets slate in Hall of Fame

SANTIAGO CITY — Arriving in this city from Iloilo City where she and her group attended the ninth national convention of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), Santiago City Mayor Amelita Sison-Navarro announced Wednesday this city’s Pattaradday Festival bagged for the third consecutive time ATOP’s Best Tourism Event of the Year (component city category).

As a result of winning the award for three consecutive times in 2006, 2007, and 2008, the Pattaradday Festival is now installed in ATOP’s Hall of Fame. This was announced last week during the awards night that capped the annual ATOP convention at Kalantiao Hall of the Sarabia Manor Hotel in Iloilo City.

Assisted by newly elected ATOP president Roselyn Merlin, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano presented the Grand Slam award to mayor Navarro who was accompanied by her executive assistant on tourism affairs, Yuan Mor’O Ocampo. Pattaradday is the Gaddang (native dialect) term for unity.

It was during the administration of Navarro that the festival was institutionalized. It has become the city’s official entry in ATOP’s best tourism practices competition since 2006. "With bigger and more popular festivals such as the Dinagyang of Iloilo, the Sinulog of Cebu participating as guest performers in the summer street spectacle here, Pattaradday has lived up to its name for literally uniting the country’s rich cultural traditions," Ocampo said. Navarro said even if Pattaradday has achieved a Hall of Fame status, Santiago City will not seat on its laurel and will continue to aim for the best.

"Winning a grand slam should inspire us to make the best of the best in all areas of concerns in general. We should not stop seeking for the better," she said.

Every year, ATOP gives due recognition to the best tourism practices in various categories.
Durano cited the ATOP convention as the country’s biggest gathering of stakeholders in the tourism industry. "There is no other gathering in the country that brings together all tourism stakeholders in the country on all levels – from local to national and even the private sectors. By far this is the biggest and the most prestigious gathering of tourism stake holders in the country," Durano said. -- CP