No campaigning, but local bets can join Suroy tour this month

THERE won’t be any campaigning in the next Suroy-Suroy tour this month, acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale said yesterday.

Magpale’s aide Dara Acusar said there won’t be any arrangements for local candidates to join the activity.

“Of course there is no prohibition if they join the Suroy-Suroy as participants only,” she said.

A second Suroy-Suroy Sugbo is slated on April 27 to 29 in Camotes Island. Provincial Tourism officer Grace Paulino said the tourism program should not be politicized.

Paulino said the program serves as a linchpin for tourism promotion of Cebu’s towns.

Paulino said they received positive feedbacks from second and third time participants of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo last January.

“There were no speeches… No presidential table. Tourists no longer complain nga lain ang food sa VIP and the tourists,” she said. Paulino said balikbayans requested for fixed dates on each scheduled tour.

Paulino said clustering should also be done with the towns and cities participating in order to maximize the time of the stay.

The tourism officer said the next administration should continue the tourism program since it helped the economy of the towns and cities in the province. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus