CORDILLERA REPRESENT — The Department of Tourism-Cordillera pavilion was made more vibrant with the presence of students representing the six provinces of the region during the 34th Philippine Travel Mart on Sept. 1 to 3 at the SMX Convention Center of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. — Vince Dangiapo/DOT-CAR
The Cordillera hut, the most frequented destinations in the different provinces in the region, and the iconic mambabatok Whang-od of Buscalan, Tinglayan, Kalinga were not the only features of the Department of Tourism-CAR pavilion that wowed spectators who attended the 34th Philippine Travel Mart at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City on Sept. 1 to 3.
The dances in the Cordillera which the Saeng ya Kasay cultural ensemble of the University of the Cordilleras performed on the last day of the event impressed the audience who also visited the pavilions where the one town, one products of the regions, partner travel agencies, and airlines offered special tour packages and discounted air fares.
The dances featured were Apayao’s talip or courtship dance, Ifugao’s dinuyya or festival dance, the eagle dance of Mountain Province, the sakuting or bamboo sticks dance of Abra, the banga-balancing dance of Kalinga, and the bendiyan community dance of Benguet.
The pavilion and the dancers both bannered the region’s tourism tagline, “Find Yourself in the Cordilleras” and the government’s “Love the Philippines,” national tourism campaign.
The DOT-Cordillera is a regular participant to the Philippine Travel Mart, which this year, featured emerging destinations such as the West Philippine Sea. In line with revitalizing the tourism industry following the slump due to the pandemic, the DOT is targeting to reach 4.8 million international travelers this year.
The TravelMart is organized by the Tourism Promotions Board of the DOT and the Philippine Travel Operators Association.
Around 300 exhibitors from the 17 regions participated in the activity. – Rimaliza A. Opiña
HIGHLAND CULTURAL DANCES — The performance of the Saeng Ya Kasay dance ensemble of the University of the Cordilleras wowed the crowd who watched the closing program of the three-day 34th Philippine Travel Mart where the Department of Tourism-CAR bannered the regional tourism slogan, “Find yourself in the Cordilleras.” — Vince Dangiapo/DOT-CAR
