The 11th Ambassadors’ Tour Philippine Reception



The Department of Tourism-hosted dinner reception and “Philippine Tapestry” Cultural Presentation was the culmination of the four-day visit of the Ambassadors’ Tour delegates in Davao City.

For four days, 187 delegates led by Philippine Consul Generals based in the United States were flown to Manila and onto Davao by PAL to experience the King City of the South up-close.

Their mission: to show the world that Davao is safe and remains highly attractive to tourists. They become the “Filipino ambassadors” in their own right engaging their respective communities with their fresh perspective of a new, safer and more beautiful Philippines.

 

At the Philippine Reception of the 11th Ambassadors’ Tour Philippines, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte with DFA Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano & DOT Usec. Katherine de Castro

 

No less than President Rodrigo Duterte gave this assurance: “You can walk the streets of Davao and feel safe.” President and COO Jaime Bautista stressed that Davao remains an important destination with eight flights daily between Manila and the Mindanao City utilizing the 199-seater A321 aircraft.

 


“You can walk the streets of Davao and feel safe.” An assurance from the President of the Philippines


 

Philippine Airlines is the airline-of-choice in this year’s 11th Ambassadors’ Tour in Davao City organized by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB).

 


PAL executives: Cielo Villaluna, Manger-External Communications; Marila Revilla, AVP-Sales; President & COO Jaime B. Bautista; Ryan Uy, VP-Sales; Pinky Pineda, Sales & Services Manager Davao; Nikki Gozon, SVP Flight Operations; and Victor Suarez, Area Head Mindanao.


PAL board director, Sammy Uy, with LTRB board member, Atty. Aileen Lizada.

 

Cielo Villaluna, PAL corporate communications manager, shared, “Our passenger load between Davao and Manila hovers between 70 to 80 percent since news about martial law. As such, we support initiatives which aim to change such mindset about Mindanao destinations. Upon assumption of the Duterte administration, high passenger loads were evident— 90 percent and above. The goal is to maintain the momentum,” said Cielo Villanueva, PAL spokesperson.

 


(Standing) Marila Revilla, PAL AVP – Sales; Victor Suarez, PAL Area Head Mindanao; and Del Merano PAL Country Manager San Francisco. (Seated) Michelle Narvaez, PAL Country Manager New York; and Sol Solleza, PAL Country Manager Honolulu.


 

As per records of the City Tourism Office May 2017 tourist arrival was up by 9.5 percent at 181,000 visitors compared to 165,000 in 2016.

“Despite current state of Mindanao, there were still groups who pushed through with their visit and were happily surprised at how peaceful Davao is,” said City Tourism Officer, Generose Tecson.

 


CTO GeneRose Tecson, DATA’s Gatchi Gatchalian & Dottie Wurgler-Cronin, and Raja Tours’ Alejandra Cruz Clemente


 

These 187 delegates from Hawaii, Agana, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles who came to visit can also attest to how peaceful and safe Davao City is.

 

The president with the delegates from Hawaii.


The president with the tour organizers and the City Government of Davao (Photo: Cielo Villaluna)



It was indeed one special night as the government and private sector joined hands to jointly promote a destination known for exotic Durian, beautiful resorts, rich flora and fauna and its fast – paced urban development. (With PR from PAL)

 


Because I always have to… With the PAL President & COO Jaime Bautista (Photo: Cielo Villaluna)


 

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com.
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Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper.