Vigan City festival draws more tourists

By Freddie G. Lazaro

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — Entertaining events being held in celebration of the World Heritage Cities Solidarity Cultural Festival which began last week has drawn more visitors and tourists in this city.

Vigan held its first-ever solidarity day celebration on Sept. 8, 2002 after UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site on Dec. 2, 1999 and has since celebrated it annually in solidarity with the Organization of World Heritage Cities.

Last week, Vigan City Councilor Juan Carlo Medina, who is the acting city mayor, led the city officials in cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Luzonwide trade fair that signify the formal start of the solidarity cultural festival.

Vigan City Mayor Eva Marie S. Medina was out of the country due to her several speaking engagements concerning to heritage conservation management.

It was noted that Vigan City received its first international award as the World’s Best Practice on Heritage Conservation Management on Nov. 8, 2012 in Kyoto, Japan during the culmination of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.

“As country’s only UNESCO – listed World Heritage city, Vigan is cited as “a unique fusion of Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning” and “an exceptionally intact and well preserved example of a European trading town in East and East Asia,” Mayor Medina said earlier.