Dinagyang enters Best Tourism Event hall of fame
Iloilo City's Dinagyang Festival is now in the hall of fame as the country's Best Tourism Event after it copped the title for the third consecutive time in the recently concluded 2008 Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) convention held here.
The city also grabbed a special award for most outstanding tourism officer.
Dinagyang Festival was again named as best tourism event by ATOP last Saturday. The award was received by the Dinagyang group which includes Doy Andrada, Robert Alor, Dr. Eden Deriada and Councilor Juliene Baronda from Department of Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.
Being in the hall of fame, the Dinagyang Festival, automatically will not be a contender in next year's Best Tourism Event selection initiated by ATOP. The event now serves as the benchmark in the selection of the Best Tourism Event in the Philippines.
It was an overwhelming victory for the city, as Dinagyang executive director and tourism officer Ben Jimena was named as one of the three most outstanding tourism officers in the country.
The two other most outstanding tourism officers are from Nueva Ecija and Batangas. The most outstanding award is considered as special award since it needs the confirmation of the board of judges until the 2009 ATOP national convention.
In receiving the award as most outstanding tourism officer in the country Jimena felt his efforts in promoting Dinagyang Festival has been rewarded.
The board of judges is composed of different regional directors of the Department of Tourism in the country, Philippine Tourism Authority, Philippine Convention Bureau Corporation among others.
In selecting the Best Tourism Event, the board of judges did not only rely on the achievements and accomplishments of the tourism officers based on "paper." It is not a credential-based selection but a result-oriented selection. It does not mean Iloilo City would already sit on their laurels but the pressure is still on its shoulder. Dinagyang has to live up with its title as the Best Tourism Event in the country.
Meantime, the Kahilwayan Festival of the town of Sta. Barbara also copped the Best Tourism Event in the country for the municipal level. It has also joined in several national competitions.