With sleepy Ginatilan town springing to action from Oct. 18 to 21 for the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod, the religious event proved not just a boon for for the soul but also for business.
The teen saint is is believed to have come from this town.
Business was brisk in the days leading to Sunday’s canonization as the town hosted thousands of visitors and homecoming Ginatilanons who wanted to take part in the celebration of the elevation of the Visayan martyr and second Filipino saint.
And this meant good business to the town’s businessmen.
Vice Mayor Dean Micahel Singco said a week before the canonization, at least 10 beach resorts in the town were fully booked with pilgrims and tourists.
Singco said they still have to wait for a report from their tourism office head on how much the town’s business earned from the influx of tourists that visited them .
“Hopefully, their income is high this week, as the beach resorts have been fully booked,” Singco said.
Francesca Santiago’s family who owned one of the eateries in front the public market said their daily sales was about P1,500 higher compared to ordinary days.
Singco said they also readied their town for more pilgrims coming in their town after the canonization.
Ginatilan police precinct chief Insp. Christopher Castro said an estimated 20,000 people from Ginatilan and different places gathered in Ginatilan town especially near the church as the activities for San Pedro Calungsod went on the whole day. /Fe Marie D. Dumaboc, Correspondent