MEDIA RELEASE

March 2011

Culture, adventure to headline tourism in Mindanao

Culture and adventure will remain vital pegs for tourism in Mindanao and will
figure prominently in the Department of Tourism’s (DOT) thrust to increase tourist traffic
to the area.
“We hope with our participation in the East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA,
we will be able to promote Mindanao not only for tourism, but also for tourism
investment,” said DOT Undersecretary for Tourism Regulation, Coordination and
Resource Generation Ma. Victoria V. Jasmin, who was recently in Bukidnon for the
province’s annual Kaamulan Festival.
She revealed that the DOT is seeking direct flights to Davao from its BIMP-EAGA
neighbors Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, and is eyeing Zamboanga for greater sea
access from the said countries.
Particularly in Bukidnon, known for its vast pineapple plantations, the Department
hopes to build agri-tourism and ecotourism as supplementary tourism products. “There
is a very beautiful festival here, but we have to promote tourism year-round so its
benefits will not be seasonal,” said the Undersecretary.
The province may also benefit from spill-over tourism from the MICE destinations
of Cagayan de Oro and Davao and may be developed accordingly, she said.
The province’s yearly Kaamulan Festival celebrates the rich culture of seven
ethnic groups indigenous to the area: the Bukidnon, Higaonon, Talaandig, Manobo,
Matigsalug, Tigwahanon and Umayamnon. It was first adopted by Northern Mindanao
as its regional festival in 1977, and this year featured a street theater and float
procession as highlights.
 Undersecretary Jasmin reiterated that except for a few isolated areas, peace and
order in Mindanao is intact and ready for tourism.

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CONTACT: EVELYN A. MACAYAYONG

Office of Tourism Information
525-18-05

PHOTOS 1 & 2: Lively street theater presentations delight the crowd at the Kaamulan Festival, an
authentic celebration of indigenous culture in Bukidnon.