Mandaue start for urban Suroy
By Doris C. Bongcac
Cebu Daily News
First Posted 10:58:00 07/18/2008
The next Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo tourism caravan will be an “urban adventure” that starts in Mandaue City instead of Lapu-Lapu City.
It will include visits to fashion accessory and furniture factories and on to some Lapu-Lapu City resorts and the Bigfoot film academy and studio in Mactan.
Gov. Gwen Garcia said it will coincide with the gathering of the 17th Visayas Area Business Conference on Aug. 14 to 16 and the celebration of Mandaue City Business Month.
Wilson Ng, chairman of the Mandaue Business Month, said 40 to 50 of the more than 100 businessmen attending the celebration would sign up for the caravan.
The Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo Urban Adventure would have kicked off with a visit to the Birhen sa Regla Shrine Aug. 16 and other landmarks in Lapu-lapu City but the governor changed the itinerary yesterday.
She was irked by the absence of a Lapu-Lapu city represesentative in a planning meeting for the Suroy Suroy.
The Lapu-Lapu City officials said they wanted a special meeting with the governor instead to discuss the activity.
Representatives from other local government units - Mandaue City and Cordova town - were able to attend the meeting.
“We can just have resort hopping in Lapu-Lapu,” she said when she was asked to reconsider omitting Lapu-Lapu City from the route.
She also agreed to include a visit to the Big Foot studio in barangay Mactan.
From there, they would proceed to the Alta Vista resort in Cordova town for a series of activities and dinner.
On day two, the governor wanted a visit Hilutongan Island instead of Nalusuan Island.
The group will return to Mandaue City to hear Mass and for their closing program.
The provincial government has organized four Suroy Suroy tours since January – the Southern Trail, the Northern Escapade, the Discover Enchanting Camotes and the Midwestern Tour.
The urban adventure is the fifth tour package for the province this year. It is already the second year since their launch of the tour which would visit basically urban areas in the province.
The Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo is a program started by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry as part of its Cebu Business Month celebration in 2004.
The activity was adopted by the Cebu provincial government since then.
The Suroy caravan aims to bring tourism to the countryside. The program invites local and foreign tourists to tour parts of Cebu province for a minimal fee.
So far, the province has already organized 17 Suroy Suroy caravans.
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