Carillo Mulls Year-Round Festivals to Boost Tourism

A Cebu City legislator has proposed the holding of year-round festivals to help sustain the influx of local tourists to Cebu right after the Sinulog festival.

Cebu City Councilor Gerry Carillo said they will be turning barangay fiestas into festivals and encourage more barangays to participate for the whole year.

“These festivals are already existing. What we want is to enhance them and make it more attractive so we could continue to invite more tourists to visit Cebu,” Carillo said.

Carillo, who was tasked to oversee the social and livelihood services programs of the city, said about eight city festivals are now being finalized.

Of these, the “Buwad” (dried fish) Festival starting this month until May 10 in San Nicolas District is the first to be finalized and is ready for implementation.

The Buwad festival covers Barangays San Nicolas, Pahina, Sawang, Pasil, Suba and Calamba.

Carillo said they will also seek approval for the implementation of Summer Festival which will include activities like biking, flying kites, car racing and Sta. Cruzan in Labangon next month.

In June, the team is proposing to mount a bigger “Tartanilla Kabayo” (horse-drawn carriages) Festival, with Barangays Mambaling and Dulho as the lead organizers.

Basak and San Nicolas, on the other hand, will hold Sundang/Bolo Festival a month after.

The team also expects bigger crowd to join the Puso Festival in Inayawan this August.

Puso, or the hanging rice, is a food product popular in Cebu.

In September, Barangays Subangdako, Kalunasan, and Guadalupe will come together to mount the Mango Festival.

Nine mountain barangays, namely, Bonbon, Babag, Busay, Buol, Sinsin, Sudlon 1 and2, Sibugay and Tabunon, will converge for the Mountain and Flower Festival in October.

Barangay Calamba, on the other hand, will lead the Kandila Festival in November.

Kasadya sa SRP and Festival for the City (Cebu City Charter Day) is scheduled in December to February.

Carillo said he believes celebrating festivals in the barangays will not only increase tourism arrivals but will also open enterprise opportunities as participating barangays will get to showcase their own products.

“This year round festivals will give Filipinos and even foreign tourists more reasons to come back to Cebu,” he said. (PNA) FPV/EB/EBP