BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the grand launching of the Negros Occidental Cultural Hub at the Capitol Lagoon in Bacolod City on May 29.
A pioneering first for Negros Occidental, Lacson said the tour of the culture hub centers on the splendor of Capitol and its lagoon, that, together with Roxas Boulevard, National Museum, and Burnham Park in Baguio City, are considered to be among the five notable works and influences by urban planner Daniel Burnham.
“It is complete and excellent in itself and an inventive way to give our guests a glimpse of what the province has to offer,” Lacson said.
The walking tour of Negros tourist attractions aims to further strengthen its tourism and investment potentials, in collaboration with the private sector.
“Our province, without a doubt, is the most gifted, in terms of human and natural resources. And with our rich history in culture and cuisine, Negros Occidental carries the most potential for tourism,” Lacson said.
In the course of an unprecedented global health, social and economic crisis, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and with the implementation of the different levels of community restrictions, travel and tourism were among those greatly affected, including our homes, he also said.
Amid the pandemic, Lacson said, “We can still enjoy the different facets of tourism that we used to enjoy”, apparently referring to the Negros Occidental Culture Hub Circuit.
The series of activities on Saturday started with the blessing and inauguration of the Provincial Tourism Office and Mambukal Resort-Bacolod office at the Provincial Capitol Park, followed by the Culture Hub Circuit Tour at the Capitol Lagoon, Association of Negros Producers building, Negros Forest Park, Negros Museum, and the Negros Food Terminal Market. “Truly, this is an ingenious design to further enhance the experience of both locals and tourists. A culture, such as ours, needs to be discovered by the world and rediscovered by our own,” Lacson said.*
