DOT- 7 Dir. Chan: next Ubi Fest a big bang

The four-day 17th Ubi Festival was formally opened last Friday at the Bohol Cultural Center with Department of Tourism Region 7 Director Catalino Chan III as Keynote speaker.

In his keynote speech, Dir. Chan vowed that in the next year festival the DOT will help in planning to make the event more festive like the Sinulog and Lanzones Festivals in Cebu and Camiguin respectively.

Chan bared he was the author of the Lanzones Festival of which there were more than 68,000 tourists gathered and witnessed the event.
He said that if they were successful in Camiguin for Lanzones we should also be successful in Ubi for Bohol.

Chan stressed that they will include this in their calendar of activities.
The DOT Region 7 Dir. urged the youth to be part of a very successful Bohol in tourism.
Chan said he sees that 10 years from now, the tourism industry could be led by private sector.
He explained the roles of the government are more on regulation, coordination and control. But any plan would come from the private sector.
Chan lauded the unity in the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC) in Bohol of which according to him a good example that we’re really into the same vibration, the same music towards the development of tourism in the province.
Governor Edgar M. Chatto in his message recognized the fruitful efforts of everyone in contributing to the growth and progress of Ubi industry in Bohol.

Gov. Chatto said Ubi is a sacred product and let us be proud this product especially the Ubi Kinampay of which its taste and aromatic smell is not commonly found in other provinces but only in Bohol.

The governor said much has been done for Ubi.
This crop can be produced into different forms such as powdered ubi, ubi jam (made up of real violet ubi), cake, ice cream among others.
Ubi is the unique part of the culture of the Boholanos, Chatto remarked.

It was on the occasion that Gov. Chatto officially launched the International Sustainable Tourism Year 2017.
Right after the opening program, the ribbon cutting and opening of exhibits were followed at the Plaza Rizal, the hub of the four-day activities.

The closing and awarding ceremony will be done tomorrow, 2p.m. at the Island City Mall (ICM) Activity Center after the Ubi Technology Updates, Forum on “Agri Tourism” – Ubi as an Industry and Sustainable Tourism,” and Saemaul Undong Lectures will be conducted in the morning as the Pinaka (the best quality Ubi harvest), Best Booth/Ubi Exhibit, Ubi Balak, Ubi Kuradang, Ubi Rap and Jingle, Bugno sa Rondalla, Ubi Poster Making contests and the Investment Forum were already conducted last Friday and Saturday, and the winners will be recognized and awarded tomorrow. (Atoy Cosap)