Albay bags tourism, governance awards

MANILA, Philippines - Albay recently received national awards in tourism, governance and disaster preparedness, attesting to its position as one of the country’s best-governed provinces.

It won two Best Tourism Practices Awards at the national convention of the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) held in Roxas City with its two major tourism events – Mayon 360 Degrees Ultra Marathon and Magayon Festival.

The Mayon 360 Degrees Ultra Marathon, an extreme sports adventure event, got First Place in the Best Tourism Event: Sports/Wellness Category Provincial Level.

Regarded as among the most challenging runs in the country, Mayon 360 takes runners around the volcano’s circumferential road and passes through many scenic towns.

Magayon Festival got runner-up honors in the Best Tourism Event: Festival Category Provincial Level. A month-long celebration depicting the legend of Mayon Volcano, the festival is a convergence of the municipal fiestas and festivities showcasing its rich cultural heritage and natural charm..

The province was also given the Gawad Kalasag Award for bagging the Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for the third consecutive year.

The annual citation is given by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council for outstanding practices in disaster preparedness.

Last year, the province and Albay governor Joey Salceda were recognized Disaster Response Campaign Champions by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

Albay was also accorded the Biyaheng Pinoy Award by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Local Government Code of 1991.

The province was named the best in Bicol region in governance practices in the provincial category, while Tiwi and Ligao City topped the municipal and city categories.