Vice President Sara Z. Duterte praised the tourism regional offices for its Mindanao campaign recently, for working together in the promotion of various leisure and tourism destinations in the island. Sweet!
Mindanao is blessed with beautiful sights and sounds, thanks to the diversity of our peoples, Lumads, Christians and Muslims who after many years have found their way to peacefully co-exist.
Although, we have to admit that there are still certain areas in Mindanao where peace building work needs to continue. Thanks to Fr.Romeo Saniel, OMI and his team who have been conducting workshops in former battleground areas between the AFP and MILF, reinforcing their program to keep the Zone of Peace and Space for Children.
During the time of North Cotabato Governor Manny Pinol, we used to cover their sports events because our idol Gov is a former sportswriter and so he values the presence of the working sports media in promoting sports in his province. Thanks idol Gov Manny!
We are lucky that in Davao, the private sector has been very active in backing sports activities. And just recently 7-Eleven sponsored a 42-kilometer race that started and wrapped up at SM City Davao. University of Mindanao also hosted the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (Patafa) Trials in Matina.
With the backing of the City Sports Division, the AFP-PNP Invitational Basketball Tournament is ongoing at the Davao City Recreation Center and the city sports agency is in the thick of things preparing next month’s Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival.
Around the Davao Region, you will notice that the conduct of tourism and sports events are easy to organize because of a better peace and order condition.
In Western Mindanao, local sports leaders have been trying their best to organize events too and luckily there were never any untoward incidents reported.
Tourism and sports events are two great partners in the development of Mindanao. And with the support of both government and non-government agencies, Mindanao will fully develop economically.
The main cities of Mindanao have built its sports complex which can also double as a venue for any tourism events.
After the Davao City Athletic Association (DCAA) Meet, the Davao Region Athletic Association (Davraa) Meet is next. Sports events, you see, are indeed closely tied to tourism.
We love to see local events conducted in the major cities of Mindanao and makes me wonder if our regional tourism officials in Mindanao have also thought of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) to be revived by conducting sports and tourism events.
Right after the 1996 Palarong Pambansa, the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games followed in the Davao Region that brought not only athletes but tourists. I remember then DOT assistant regional director Roger G. Layson, who also writes a regular column for the community paper Mirror, was so busy handling the media by assisting them in the news coverage. Thanks to then President Fidel V. Ramos for fully backing the BIMP-EAGA.
It would be lovely to see in Mindanao, the revival of the BIMP-EAGA, now that things have normalized.
You see, our friendly neighbours would love to come back to Davao again.
Would that be a lovely sight?
It would be lovely, indeed.
