Suroy-Suroy kicks off today with fewer guests

The three-day SuroySuroy Sugbo Southern Getaway Tour will kick off today with around 40 guests, mostly balikbayans.

The first leg of this year’s Suroy-Suroy Sugbo will head to Cebu attractions in the south, showcasing its Spanish colonial heritage and ecotourism havens.

The number of participants, however, is fewer compared to the previous years, reaching up to 150 guests for the southern trail.

But for Provincial Tourism Office (PTO) Head Joselito Costas, small number of participants is better.

“Personally, mas ganahan ko nga di kaayo daghan pud kay otherwise that would just be part of a package tour nga daghan kaayo. For me, I like small and controllable number of guests for Suroy-Suroy Sugbo,” he said.

Costas attributed the decrease in the number of participants to the accessibility of the tourist spots.

“Accessible naman gyud kaayo ang mga destinations. They can go on their own,” he said.

The southern trail will begin with a heritage tour around the kabisera or capital of Argao. The kabisera or capital is the heart of the Spanish settlement in Argao. The church of Argao, which retains its original stone structure, was built in 1832. Its belfry contains nine bells brought by galleon to Cebu.

They will then continue on to another sprawling trail in Dalaguete town, known as Cebu’s vegetable basket, followed by Boljoon, the home of the historical Patrocinio de Maria Church and museum that contains archeological diggings unearthed from the town.

On the second day, guests will experience the whale shark watching in Oslob, and canyoneering in Alegria.

The Suroy-Suroy Sugbo group will then head to Moalboal, Barili, Carcar City and then back to Talisay City for dinner and cultural show on the last day of the tour.

“They can see a glimpse of what every town has to offer in terms of culture, in terms of food, so amo lang nang gitan-aw diha. Gibantayan na namo diha nga dili bitaw siya excessive kaayo,” Costas said.

The annual Suroy-Suroy Sugbo takes place on the Wednesday after the Sinulog festivities.

It was launched in 2005 by the Balik Cebu Group as part of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Cebu Business Month celebration to promote Cebu’s tourism industry.

The province adopted the program during the time of former governor and current Third District Representative Gwendolyn Garcia.

The program was institutionalized by the present administration through an ordinance authored by Board Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy.