A spectacle of Cebuano heritage

Church visits, cultural dances, song presentations, a feast of Cebuano delicacies, and souvenir items topped the 24th three-day “Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo Southern Heritage Trail” last Oct. 21 to 23.

Foreign and local tourists who visited 22 places in southern Cebu took a glimpse of heritage sites like the old military barracks in Oslob.

Korean national See Wook Hur, first-time participant of the Suroy-Suroy, described Oslob town as “one of the most beautiful places” he visited.

Tourists also stopped at the old guard house and the marine sanctuary in Santander.

Five fishermen played the tenor, bandoria and the bass guitar for the guests.

Next stop was another heritage site in Samboan, the St. Michael Archangel Parish Church.

With walls made of corals, the church was built in 1780. Students from Samboan National High School also presented an arnis demonstration for the guests.

In Ginatilan, Vice Mayor Dean Michaels Singco told guests that one of the challenges they encountered in preserving the heritage sites are the “privately owned houses and establishments.”

We cannot stop the owners from renovating the old houses especially if they use other materials to ‘renew’ the house or establishment to make it look “modernized.” “Usahay lahi ang gusto sa tag-iya sa pag-preserve sa balay or establishment. Mas ganahan sila ug comfort (Sometimes the owners have their own way of preserving their house or establishment. They want comfort),” Vice Mayor Singco said.

He said Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo helped promote their town. He underscored their heritage sites like the ancestral house of the Ferrari family, the St. Gregory the Great Parish church built in 1829, Inambakan Falls and the Holy Trinity College.

In Alegria, where Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia sang a song for the guests, a senior citizen balikbayan was rushed to a Cebu City hospital for checkup after he had difficulty breathing. Paramedics said he had been coughing for three days before the tour.

In Badian, where banig (mat) products were sold, the Kawasan dance troupe in banig costumes entertained the guests.

On the second day of the tour, guests visited Moalboal and dined in a seaside coffee shop at the Moalboal Heritage Park. A fireworks display capped off the night.

First stop on the third day of the tour was in Alcantara. The guests went to the sea boardwalk, which showcased rabbits, sea turtles and birds among others.

Guests also enjoyed taking pictures of Mantayupan Falls in Barili. They enjoyed the fresh air they missed in the city.

Provincial Board Members Peter John Calderon and Wilfredo Caminero, Santander Vice Mayor Wilson Wenceslao, Samboan Mayor Raymund Calderon also joined the tour on the second and third day.

Thirteen Russian artists also joined the tour from Dumanjug to Talisay on the third day.

“The Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo has been very interesting to us. There’s new food and new associations. The Cebuano food is Oriental. I like the pork and chicken menus, banana chips and fruits,” Russian-Indian Rerich Club of Arts president Vladimir Anisimov said.

A 6-year-old boy, Andrae Quiron, was the youngest participant of the tour. It was also his first time to join his mother, Cristina Quiron.

Governor Garcia said they raised the bar with their latest Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo tour.

The governor said the important thing is the “marketing” and refinement.

“We will be working with colleges, tourism students and the Chamber of Commerce to define the tourism packages,” the governor said.