More paying customers for Suroy tours

THE initial tour packages under the Capitol’s Suroy-Suroy program has more paying guests than last year, the Capitol said in its report to the Commission on Audit (COA).

In its report prepared by Suroy-Suroy Sugbo head coordinator Mary Grace Paulino, the Capitol said the Southern Getaway tour held last January had 67 paying participants and 70 non-paying guests.

In the Summer Interlude tour held in Camotes Island last April this year, the number of paying participants was at 74 compared to 61 non-paying guests. Tour participants are charged between P3,000 to P6,000 for the entire trip.

In June last year, there were 178 non-paying participants and 122 paying guests. Two months later, there were 172 non-paying guests compared to 108 paying participants.

Magpale said they cut down the number of guests who join the tour for free but don’t help promote the program.

“We are prudent in the disbursement of funds even if the Suroy-Suroy program is already institutionalized,” she said.

The COA review on the Suroy Suroy Sugbo program in 2012 showed that expenses amounted to P11.45 million or 201 percent higher than its revenue collection of P3.79 million. On top of that, the report also cited the P67.5 million payable to contractor ConEquip Philippines for 26 buses imported from China last October.

Magpale said she emphasized in the report that the Suroy-Suroy wasn’t intended as an income-generating tool for the province but as a tourism promotion tool.

“The importance of the Suroy-Suroy is really not to raise revenue but rather to promote the tourism destination in the countryside and be aware of the potential of each town ‘s culture and heritage,” she said. Correspondent Peter L. Romanillos