President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday said the tourism sector is back on track as he cited Filipinos’ resiliency and talent in bringing the country to the path to recovery.
“It is a good thing to remind people that the pandemic may have been difficult. The pandemic really put us through the wringer, but we are back. The pandemic is fading away. We are learning to manage it. “Marcos said in a welcome luncheon at the Masskara Festival in Bacolod City.
The Masskara Festival, a grand celebration for Bacolodnons to mark their milestones for conquering hardships, serves as a reminder of “all the opportunities” for Filipinos to thrive, the President said.
With its theme “Balik Yuhum!” which means to smile again, the Masskara Festival is back for its 43rd annual celebration after two years of being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now it is time for us to all go back to work, to all go back to our normal lives, to remind ourselves of all the opportunities that were before us, before the pandemic that we now after—that we have normalized the situation a little bit—then it is time for us to go back to all of those endeavors that we were undertaking before the COVID hit,” Mr. Marcos said.
The President led the culminating activities of the MassKara Festival as well as the inauguration of The Upper East, a township and industrial estate development in the province.
The President said the Masskara Festival is an example of what theadministration has been trying to promote despite the “difficult things.”
“We have tried very hard to remind people that it is time again, as I said to bring us back to where we were before and even to go further and to know that we have—although things are difficult,” he said.
“It is time for us to go back and exercise once again, show once again the Filipino resilience, the Filipino resourcefulness, the Filipino industry, the Filipino talent,” Mr. Marcos added.
In a vlog Saturday night, the President urged Filipinos to explore, travel, and discover the beauty of the Philippines.
“Always remember, traveling to the beautiful places in the Philippines will pave the way for our continued recovery,” he said.
“A huge chunk of our revenues comes from our fellow Filipinos, so I will continue encouraging all of you to visit our beautiful tourist spots,” the President added.
Mr. Marcos encouraged spending next week’s four-day holiday during “Undas” (All Saints’ Day) by visiting tourist sites.
October 31 and November 1, which fall on Monday and Tuesday, are non-working holidays.
“Let’s begin traveling this All Saints’ Day. The reason why I declared October 31 as a special non-working holiday is to allow us to have more time with family and plan our vacation,” he said.
Meanwhile, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was honored Sunday in a tree-planting ceremony inside Bacolod City’s Upper East township, which is owned and developed by property giant Megaworld.
Megaworld honored the First Lady by dedicating a Bitaog tree, the first tree of its kind to be planted inside the 34-hectare township development.
“We are privileged to dedicate this Bitaog tree in honor of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. We are delighted to have this tree become a part of our developmental efforts here in The Upper East,” said Alliance Global Inc. CEO and Megaworld Chief Strategy Officer Kevin Tan.
According to Tan, the township’s location is “close to the heart” of the First Lady as it was the former site of the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company (BMMC), which the First Lady’s father used to manage as head of operations.
“Dedicating this tree to the First Lady is very symbolic for us as it will soon witness the rise of Bacolod’s modern central business district, just like how the century-old trees preserved inside the township witnessed the history of BMMC together with Mr. Araneta himself,” he added.
Endemic to the Philippines and the rest of Southeast Asia, the Bitaog tree (scientific name: Calophyllum inophyllum) is revered for its strength, beauty, and fragrant flowers.
The Bitaog tree acts as a natural barrier along coastal areas because of its ability to withstand typhoons and other calamities.
