The city government of Baguio, through the City Tourism Office, extends an invitation to tourism officers, local officials, and the muses of 10 key cities and municipalities here in Northern Luzon for the 2011 staging of ‘Sabsabong ti Mayo’ (Flowers of May).
In the Kapihan sa Baguio forum Wednesday, City Tourism Officer Benny Alhambra bared that they have invited the cities of Laoag and Batac of Ilocos Norte; Vigan and Candon of Ilocos Sur; San Fernando, La Union, and Dagupan, San Carlos, Urdaneta, and Alaminos of Pangasinan to join Baguio City and Tabuk City of Kalinga for this year’s staging of Sabsabong ti Mayo.
Alhambra explained that Sabsabong ti Mayo’ is a cultural and eco-tourism program and as a new product that they would like to develop to be a major tourism event, they are now partnering with other cities and key municipalities in this northern part of the country.
“We are converging here in Baguio to showcase the cultural and eco-tourism products especially the eco-fiber of the different places here in the north,” Alhambra said.
As the highlight of the event, a Santacruzan will be held on May 26 inside the SM City Baguio, which will be participated by the invited tourism officers as well as their cultural bearers or muses of their respective areas. An eco-fiber designer gown fashion show cum competition will also be held.
On Friday, the city guests will also join some of the city barangays for a ‘Santacruzan’, which will start at Session Road to the Baguio Convention Center wherein the Sabsabong ti Mayo will be culminated by an ‘anido’ (bonfire) for an informal meeting of the minds and gathering through bonfire, accompanied by dance, music and food.
Alhambra also disclosed that they will also be holding a participative development forum with their fellow tourism officers, to have an assessment of the ‘Sabsabong’ activity.
“Very briefly we would like to make an assessment, on what Sabsabong is all about and in line with our vision towards establishing it to be a major program of the city for the second quarter, after Panagbenga.
In partnership with eco-tourism officers and leaders on the North, we want to make this as a major event and to come out with programs on how we can also promote each other,” Alhambra said.
