IN tourist arrivals breach 350,000 during Holy Week

Saud beach in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. (Alaric A. Yanos)

Tourists enjoy a banca ride at Saud beach in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. (Alaric A. Yanos)

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

LAOAG CITY—Tourist arrivals in Ilocos Norte continue to pick up reaching a record high of more than 356,000 this Holy Week.

Records obtained from the Provincial Tourism Office show an estimate of 356,443 tourist arrivals compared to last year’s 271,106, or an increase of 85,337 foreign and local tourists arrivals during the weeklong holiday.

Jun Arvin C. Gudoy, head of the Communication and Media Office of the provincial government said a notable increase of visitors were observed in Paoay, the Virgen Milagrosa chapel in Badoc and the province’s eastern town tourist destinations.

The Patapat Viaduct in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. (Alaric A. Yanos)

Amidst typhoon warning signal no. 1 that threatened the province on April 4, majority of visitors still pushed with their plan to visit the province’s various tourism destinations from the Badoc gateway all the way to the northernmost part of Pagudpud beach.

Less visitors however were recorded at the Ferdinand E. Marcos presidential museum and Malacañang of the North.

With the provincial government’s aggressive tourism promotion efforts as a premiere summer destination of the north, the Ilocos Norte government hopes that the number of tourists’ arrivals will further increase by more than 50 percent or to beat the province’s target of inviting at least one million tourists every year.

Paoay Kumakaway!

In recent years, the efforts of Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos in promoting Ilocos Norte’s key tourist attractions and vibrant culture through the provincial government’s tourism campaign ‘Paoay Kumakaway!’ have been attracting national as well as global attention.   

The Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO) said tourist arrivals started on Tuesday [March 31] and peaked on Friday [April 3].

Kite flying at the Bangui windmill farm. (Alaric A. Yanos)

Meanwhile, information from INTO showed that tourists during the summer season last year accounted to 1.5 million, an indicator of the good and improving performance of the tourism industry in the province.

“We are expecting the same numbers for this year or possibly even more,” revealed by INTO officials.

Ms. Marcos said that the provincial government continuously develops several tourism facilities in key centers in Ilocos Norte and closely cooperates with the private sector when it comes to the development of their establishments and quality of service.

Summer jobs for Ilocanos

In order to cater to the growing number of tourists, 300 Ilocanos have been deployed by the provincial government through its ‘Task Force Trabaho’ (TFT) as tourists’ aides, utility personnel and paramedics in 42 tourist centers across the province.

“Dalawampu’t lima lang ang nadatnan ko sa summer job noong 2009, ngayon ang dami nang bibong-bibong tour guides...tourists aides,” said Ms. Marcos during her State of the Province (SOPA) last year. She added that hiring is based on the personality, not with their college courses, as tourists always look for those who are ‘madaldal’ (talkative).

Following the hiring, the beneficiaries underwent an orientation last March 21 to better prepare them for the demands of the tourism jobs and equipped them with knowledge about the industry.

Aside from poverty alleviation, such program of Ms. Marcos under TFT was also established to raise the locals’ awareness of the growing tourism industry in Ilocos Norte.

In addition, the Night Express which was launched last March will intensify its operation for the summer season to address the tourists’ demands for transportation particularly the ones going to Pagudpud. This service offers night trips during Fridays to Sundays, 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. to four routes in the province (Laoag-Pagudpud, Laoag-Bacarra, Laoag-Paoay, and Laoag-Dingras). (With a report from J Michael Mugas, PGIN-CMO)