Mabuhay! Tuloy ang Progreso at Turismo sa Valenzuela!

As part of the celebration of Tourism Week, Valenzuela City through its Cultural Affairs and Tourism Development Office (CATDO) launched its first-ever Valenzuela Tourism Summit at Casa De Polo, Valenzuela City, on September 24, 2024. 

Tourism Week is celebrated every last week of September under Proclamation No. 894, S. 1994. To commemorate this, Valenzuela CATDO, with the help of the Department of Tourism (DOT), launched the 2024 Valenzuela Tourism Summit at Casa de Polo — a significant place to enhance tourism in the city and was accessible and nearby to heritage sites and open spaces such as San Diego de Alcala Parish, Museo ni Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Tagalag Fishing Village, The Valenzuela Boardwalk, and Arkong Bato Park, among others. 

One of the objectives of this summit was to gather tourism stakeholders to increase tourism awareness in preparation for Tourism Development Planning. Mr. Jonathan Balsamo, the Head of CATDO, said, “The goal of tourism is to give ‘ginhawa’ to the people.” This pertains to the relevance of providing local employment through good city tourism practices.

In the last 15 years, the development of tourism in the city significantly emerged with nine (9) attractions and/or recreational spaces in the city — namely Valenzuela City People’s Park, Valenzuela Family Park, Polo Park, Tagalag Fishing Village, Valenzuela City Sports Park, Fatima Avenue, Museo ni Dr. Pio Valenzuela, Arkong Bato Park, and The Valenzuela Boardwalk. As of writing, there are two (2) under-construction spaces — the Valenzuela Skate Park and the Valenzuela Paw Park. Additionally, Valenzuela being the connecting city to the nearby cities and municipalities, the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulakan, Bulacan, the North-South Commuter Railway project, and the Metro Manila Subway project encouraged the Valenzuela City CATDO to enhance the tourism projects in the city — further, this will lead to improved quality of life and local employment. 

The two (2) speakers shared their insights on the importance of good local tourism in the city. Dr. Kathleen Apilado said that Valenzuela City was very inclusive regardless of its target market, “We promote inclusivity whether it’s for gender; whether it’s for persons with disabilities (differently-abled persons).” Moreover, Mr. Ramon Tiangco said that local tourism helps locals survive and he encourages the stakeholders and the Valenzuelanos to support local businesses in the city. “Hahaba ang kanilang buhay, hindi niyo man maramdaman ‘yun, nararamdaman nila ‘yun.” [It will give life to the local business owners, you might not feel it, but they are feeling it.]

Meanwhile, researchers from different universities presented their research regarding promoting tourism in Valenzuela City. The presented papers are:

• Exploring the Roles of Green Spaces to the Students of Valenzuela City by Binaya, K., Demetion, J., Maningas, A., Pascual, A. K., & Serena, A. (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela)

• Kwentong Puto: Ang Act of Transfer ng Produksyon ng Putong Polo sa Lungsod ng Valenzuela by Formacion, I. J. B. (Unibersidad ng Pilipinas)

• Understanding Mano Po, San Roque Festival of Barangay Mabolo, Valenzuela City as Manifestation of Cultural Energy by Arcega, A. R. A., Berjuega, D. J. R., Calara, M. M., Dela Torre, A. D., & Herrera, R. C. I. (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela)

• Sustainable Development of Fishing Village at Tagalag, Valenzuela: A Stakeholder’s Perception by Policarpio, N. A., Sambilay, D., Tiongson, K., Callueng, K. J., Juan, A. M., & Tongol, C. (Far Eastern University)

• Readiness of Valenzuela City as a Tourist Destination: An Initial Assessment by Velasco, E. (Jose Rizal University)

Joining the summit were Ms. Mariville Ramos (TOO II) of the Department of Tourism (DOT)-NCR, representing DOT Assistant Secretary Sharlene Batin, Valenzuela stakeholders, representatives from local government offices, and representatives of barangays with identified tourism attractions in the city. To further ensure the safety of the Valenzuelanos regarding tourism, representatives from the Valenzuela Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and Traffic Management Office (TMO) also attended the said event.

The City Government of Valenzuela encourages the Pamilyang Valenzuelano to help support local businesses in the city and embrace the continuous transformation of the tourism industry through hospitality and quality services.

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