Seven chosen Baguio lucky summer visitors

BAGUIO CITY – With the return of full-swing tourism activities in 2023, Baguio’s media community was back to an old “giving back” tradition – the Lucky Summer Visitors (LSV) program.
    The annual program of the Baguio City Broadcasters Club (BCBC) rolled out during Holy Week.
    A media committee picked the Lucky Summer Visitors in Pugo, La Union Maundy Thursday by stopping at random two passenger buses headed to the city at Pugo, La Union and choose seven first-time Baguio visitors.
    These passengers received full “red carpet” treatment, BCBC president Joseph Cabanas said.
Cabanas, of Radyo Pilipinas, said the media selection committee picked the first two as Ciara Balmaceda 26, administrative staff and her boyfriend Ivan Maglis 25, both from Bacoor, Cavite.
    The group of five vacationists were Ivy Cayabyab,30; Lea Cayabyab,25; Rechelle Ramos,36;Joan Velez,38 and Genalyn Billones,37, all from Mariveles, Bataan. Cabanas said the two rode a Victory Bus and left Pasay and selected the media group around 8 a.m. in Pugo, La Union.
    The five were selected from a Genesis Bus at 8:30 am.
    The lucky visitors were treated to four days of red carpet treatment which included accommodation, meals, tokens and guided tours to tourist sites in Baguio and nearby towns of La Trinidad and Tuba in Benguet.
Pugo Mayor Kurt Martin welcomed the seven lucky visitors in a press conference  in the town.
    Motoring towards town of Tuba they were welcomed by Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan and proceeded to Lion’s head in Kennon Road for photos.
    The lucky visitors were brought to the media camp in Burnham Park and introduced to BCBC members who joined them for lunch before being taken to their hotel.
    The search for LSV is an annual project of the BCBC since 1958 with the partnership of the city government of Baguio, La Trinidad and Tuba local government and Benguet provincial government.
    The Covid-19 pandemic forced the BCBC to shelve the program over the last three years.
“BCBC brought the LSV back after a three-year hiatus, and we are building it up from scratch,” Cabanas said.
BCBC members guided the tourists around Baguio City and neighboring towns of La Trinidad, Tuba and Atok.
Four travelers from Antipolo were the beneficiaries of the last LSV program in 2019 before the pandemic shut down travel.
    The current form of the program took shape in 1983 after the BCBC organized a Holy Week “media camp” since most publications were on break.
    The camp was revived here at Burnham Park this year. – With a Rappler report