The province of Negros Occidental and four cities – Bacolod, Bago, Silay, and Sipalay – were grand winners in their respective categories at the Pearl Awards 2025 of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP), held in Baguio City Oct. 2.
Negros Occidental was named grand winner for Best Event Hosting – International for Terra Madre 2024, themed “Restoring our Relationship with Nature”.
It also bagged the first runner-up honors for Best Event Hosting – Local for the Negros Trade Fair 2024 themed: “Halad”, and second runner-up for Best Institutionalized Program for Culture and the Arts Program for its entry “Sugar Cultural Landscape of Negros”, that is currently listed in the Unesco tentative list for a World Heritage Site.
Bacolod was grand winner of Best Event Hosting – Local Event in the highly-urbanized city (HUC) level for the Chicken Inasal Festival, and first runner-up in Best Cultural Festival, HUC level, for the MassKara Festival.
“These honors are a testament to the unwavering passion, creativity, and unity of the Bacolodnon spirit, showcasing our world-renowned festivals that continue to bring pride to our city,” the Bacolod City Tourism Office posted last night.
Bago, meanwhile, bagged the Best Practices in Sustainable Tourism, component city category, for its entry – Booming GREEN AGritOurism, or BAGO – which highlights the local government’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and community empowerment through agritourism.
“This recognition is not only a triumph for Bago tourism but also a testament to the dedication of our farmers, stakeholders, and communities, who breathe life into our vision of a sustainable and regenerative future,” senior tourism operations officer Mae Ann Furtos said.
Sipalay City, meanwhile, was the grand winner of Best Tourism Week/Month Celebration for its 18th Sipalay City Tourism Month celebration, while Silay took home the Best Tourism Oriented LGU grand award, and second runner-up for Best Practices for Community-Based Tourism – “Hacienda Adela Folklore Village: Championing Regenerative Culture and Tourism”.
The four-day ATOP national convention, that will run until Oct. 4, serves as an annual convergence of tourism leaders nationwide, highlighting best practices in tourism governance, the Negros Occidental Tourism Division said.
It also provides a platform for discussions on industry trends, sustainability, and innovative strategies; all these while celebrating success stories from across regions and the entire country, the NOTD added. ||
