Ilocos Norte welcomes 5% more tourists for Holy week

By Leilanie G. Adriano & Bernard B. Ver

Laoag City—The Ilocos Norte Tourism Office said the province welcomed an estimated 483,778 domestic and foreign day visitors during the Holy Week.

The INTO figures represent a 5.3% increase in tourist arrivals compared to the same period last year.

A Few weeks before the Holy Week, tourism stakeholders in various parts of the province has already beef up their supply for the expected influx of tourists.

Report from the Ilocos Norte Tourism Office (INTO) showed a total of 483,778 visitors. These were monitored by tourist aides assigned in more than 42 tourism destinations of Ilocos Norte.

“Our tourist arrivals for the Holy Week is another blockbuster considering other new destinations that we promoted this year,” said provincial tourism officer Aian Raquel referring to the sunflower farm in Piddig and the newly-inaugurated Siwawer Eco-Tourism Nature Park in Vintar which features extreme sports adventure and the first bike zipline in Ilocos region.

Major hotels, homestays and other accommodation facilities also reported they were all fully-booked during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, or an average of 72 percent accommodation for this summer season.

According to INTO, this tourism peak is expected to carry on until June and July.

Like in previous years, the giant windmills located at the Bangui Bay topped the highest number of visitors during the Holy Week season, followed by the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saint Augustine Church in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. The blue lagoon in Pagudpud, Kapurpurawan Rocks Formation in Burgos and the sand dunes of Suba, Paoay were also included in the Top 5 most visited attraction in Ilocos Norte.

Visitors at the Marcos Presidential Center and museum which consistently received a high number of arrivals in previous years had significantly declined since the remains of the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos was buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Ilocos Norte’s steady peak of tourist arrivals only shows that we are doing well in promotions, said Mr. Raquel as he underscored some local government units in the province are also aggressive in improving their respective municipalities to attract more tourists in the area.

He also added that the new school calendar will also add to “the total number of visitors will continuously rise in the incoming days as the vacation for schools is extended based on the new school calendars”.

Comments

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

PGIN honors Ilocano heroes of past, present through Heroes Walk

SPO1 Allan Lampitoc Franco of Banna, Ilocos Norte and PO2 Jovalyn D. Lozano of Adams, Ilocos Norte receive a resolution of commendation, a certificate of college scholarship grant to their family members and a P20,000 cash incentive each from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte represented by Governor Imee R. Marcos and Vice Governor Angelo M. Barba in recognition of their bravery and heroic acts in the Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao on January 25. Mr. Franco and Mr. Lozano were recognized on March 10 in time for the unveiling of the second batch of Ilocano heroes at the Heroes Walk located along the Sirib Mile in Laoag City. (Lei Adriano) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In honor of the heroes who brought freedom, fame and glory to the province as well as to the country in the past century, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Education Department and Sirib Youth Office launched the second batch of Ilocano Heroes Walk on March 10, 2015.

Pagudpud’s tourism transformer passes away

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Retired Philippine Air Force Col. Ricardo Nolasco Jr., owner of Hannah’s Beach Resort and Convention Center in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte passed away on Wednesday evening, July 11, 2018. He was 67. “He did not survive an open-heart surgery,” said Ronald Dominguez, spokesperson of the largest resort at Brgy. Balaoi in Pagudpud. Known as the architect behind the transformation of Pagudpud town as a premiere destination of the north, Mr. Nolasco put up Hannah’s Beach Resort in what was originally meant as a family vacation resort. The rest is history when it expanded into more than 300-room executive villas and cabanas, with on-going infrastructure developments and set up various amenities. As a result, hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists visit here daily. The resort is on a cliff by the beach, which provides a spectacular view of the sparkling blue lagoon. “Yesterday will go down my lifeline as one

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog