Baguio City partners with other Ilocos cities for “Sabsabong ti Mayo”

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.

Source

PSU bats for green environment

PSU bats for green environment

by Venus H. Sarmiento

Lingayen, Pangasinan (28 July) -- The Pangasinan State University embarked on a tree planting activity yesterday and today, as part of its social concern to help protect the environment.

PSU President Victoriano Estira said the commemorative tree planting activity forms part of the 31st anniversary celebration of the school to develop awareness and participation among the students.

"We would like to show the way and lead the way in caring for the environment. We exemplify tree planting as an immediate concern and translate in the form of the participation and more involvement of faculty members and students," Estira said.

The initial tree planting activity was conducted in the nine campuses of PSU located in the towns of Asingan, Binmaley, Bayambang, Infanta, Lingayen and in the cities of San Carlos, Urdaneta and Alaminos. It was capped by the university celebration in the main campus in Lingayen where the planting activity was spearheaded by Estira together with the university's three vice presidents- Dr. Lydia Buduhan for Administration and Planning, Dr. Manolito Manuel for Academic Affairs and Dr. Honorio Cascolan for Research and Extension.

Thousands of forest tree seedlings like mahogany and gimelina were planted to provide shade and recreation area within the vicinity of the school campuses, not to mention their aesthetic value and contribution to filtration of carbon dioxide in the air.

Incidentally, the nature-loving Estira revealed that he just planted 500 seedlings last weekend in his farm located in Bugallon town as it is "always the people's responsibility to sustain and care about the trees and the environment not only for themselves but most importantly for the future generations to come."

A short program honoring the loyal PSU faculty members, retirees and board passers was held after the greening activity. Marcelo Casillan of the PSU Board of Regents, was the event's guest of honor and speaker (PIA-Pangasinan)

http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=12&fi=p100728.htm&no=23

__________________