THE Cebu Tourism Officers Association (CTOA) opposes a gubernatorial candidate’s proposal to discontinue the “Pasigarbo sa Sugbo” and “Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo” events. A total of 53 tourism officers from the different towns and cities of Cebu issued a statement on Thursday evening, Nov. 7, 2024, opposing the elimination of the two major cultural and tourism flagship programs of the province.
Among the signatories are Cebu Provincial tourism officer Maria Lester Ybañez, Cebu City tourism officer Neil Odchigue, and Lapu-Lapu City tourism officer Garry Lao. The Pasigarbo sa Sugbo or the “Festival of festivals” is the Province’s annual cultural dance festival celebrating Cebu’s founding anniversary, while the “Suroy Suroy Sugbo,” served as the Capitol’s flagship tourism program. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the CTOA opposed the proposition of Pamela Baricuatro, an aspiring candidate for governor 2025 midterm elections, to demolish programs related to the festival, which was established as early as 2008.
“Dismissing Suroy Suroy Sugbo is a disservice to the many communities that have benefited from it and the countless lives it has positively impacted,” it added. The group said Baricuatro’s remark overlooked the “significant and measurable” impact the event has had economically and socially on the Province of Cebu, especially in far-flung areas. “Suroy Suroy Sugbo has been a transformative force in introducing our countryside towns to wider aud.
