“Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo”
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Tourism (DOT) in the region is mulling of adopting the ‘Suroy Suroy sa Sugbo’ tourism program of the provincial government of Cebu.
Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said that as part of the plan, they are thinking of conducting an immersion in Cebu to exactly know what is being done and offered during the tour.
After doing the emersion, they will be talking with tourism officers in the region to discuss how this will be implemented, especially in areas where this program are first to be piloted, she added.
“It is just a matter of identifying what one municipality has and will complement it with the other town. We do not want to offer something that LGU A and LGU B will be offering to the same tourists. So when we do the cluster, when we do the caravan, we will make sure that there will be no duplication,” Tiopes added.
Tiopes also said that instead of Suroy Suroy, the region’s version will be called ‘Suroy Sudoy’ to give consideration to the bilingual nature of Eastern Visayas residents.
“We are rich in history and culture and arts, hindi lang masyadong na- highlight. When we say heritage, it is manifested to structures, it is also manifested in our traditions, our culture is manifested in our food, performances, and arts and so many various ways,” Tiopes said.
Among the historical events that happened in the region include the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in Homonhon, Guiuan, Eastern Samar; the holding of the First Mass in Limasawa, Southern Leyte; the return of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Palo, Leyte; and the Balangiga Encounter in Balangiga, Eastern Samar, among others.
Popular local delicacies of the region includes the ‘binagol’ and chocolate moron from Dagami, Leyte; and heirloom dishes in Samar.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
