Several ASEAN-related meetings being hosted by Davao Region are meant to give way to tourism opportunities in the global scale through the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) program of the Department of Tourism.
“We, the DOT, are showing other countries that Davao City is an area where they can hold meetings,” DOT-11 Regional Director Roberto P. Alabado during the business forum at DermPath, SM City Davao on Tuesday. He pointed out the exposure of Davao City as MICE destination is very essential for the tourism industry.
Alabado said, the ASEAN meetings prove that the region is a MICE venue as well as provide establishments and stakeholders experience and enhance their capacity to host important high-level meetings.
“Hopefully when delegates go back to their countries, they will remember Davao in terms of facilities, hospitality and attractions,” said the regional director.
Alabado stressed that the representatives of ASEAN member states do not only serve as government officials but also “influencers”.
“If they like what they saw and experienced here in Davao City, then they are very credible people to their own countrymen,” he said.
Since the launching of Philippine Chairmanship of ASEAN 2017 in Davao City, DOT has been hosting tour packages for the ASEAN delegates, going to ecotourism destinations such as Malagos Garden Resort and Philippine Eagle Center.
Although Mindanao, in terms of culture, is similar to other Asian countries because of the same ethnicity, Alabado stressed that Davao has many unique elements that can be featured such as the Philippine Eagle Center, the only eagle breeding center in the world, the waling-waling plant, and durian-tasting activity which is practiced only in Davao City.
The regional director also identified the President as one of the top “tourism products” of Davao, citing the Duterte Tour which is still one of the most sought after tour packages in the city.
Alabado also cited the recent effort of DOT to promote Davao as MICE destination in Hong Kong where 21-member Kadayawan sa Dabaw, represented by the SinagTala Dance Company of St. John Paul College of Davao, wowed the crowd with their performance of Kadayawan Sa Dabaw at the 2017 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Parade street performance at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC) Piazza Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong on January 28.
He added that Philippines was the only developing country invited to perform along with Germany, Japan, Italy, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and the US, as well as local performing groups from Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Cathay Pacific, among others.
With all the efforts being done by the agency, Alabado asked the patience of Davaoeños whenever security measures are implemented by the city PNP due to the presence of high-ranking officials in the city.
