TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism lauded the Ormoc City government for earning three awards from the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards 2024.
DOT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said on Monday that Ormoc City brought home three prestigious awards in the independent/component city category during the ATOP national convention on October 9 to October 12, 2024 in South Cotabato.
“This just shows that we have a local government and a local tourism office that is now becoming competitive in terms of performing their mandated tasks. This should inspire other local governments and give them the confidence to bid for awards,” Tiopes told the Philippine News Agency.
The city is the grand winner of the Best Sports Tourism for hosting the Philippine Summer Ball Dancesport Championship last year.
The event showcased Ormoc as a prime destination for sports tourism, elevating its profile on the national stage, according to Tiopes.
The city is also first runner-up in the Best Practices for Community-Based Tourism for its “The Visionary Chasing Eco-Tourism Dreams: From Mountains to Mangroves Program.”
Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial, and transportation hub of western Leyte.
Tiopes said the initiative exemplifies the city’s dedication to sustainable tourism development and community empowerment.
The city is also the 2nd runner-up for hosting tourism events such as the dynamic Road to Blue Zone, which further highlighted Ormoc’s ability to hold impactful gatherings that attract attention from visitors and stakeholders alike.
Tiopes asked local governments to fully document their tourism policies, programs, projects, activities, and events and establish standards and targets, outputs, and outcomes by which they can see their milestones and measure achievements if they want to be part of the Pearl Award. (PNA)