BAGUIO CITY – Once again, the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC) will roll out the red carpet for this year’s Lucky Summer Visitors who will be chosen from among the thousands of vacationers on Maundy Thursday under the long-running annual tourist tribute project of the media group.
BCBC incoming president Jane Cadalig said preparations are in high gear for the various activities from the setting up of the media camp at Camp Peppot at Burnham Park on Monday to the selection of the visitors in Rosario, La Union on Thursday and their send-off on Easter Sunday.
As in the past years, the visitors will receive red carpet treatment with free meals, accommodation, guided tours to the different tourist spots in the city, Benguet and nearby La Union, courtesy calls to city and provincial officials, free entertainment from local artists and free souvenir items and gifts.
The guests must be first-timers to the city.
Outgoing president Ramon Dacawi said for this year’s edition, the club officers had to work double time to sustain all the activities despite the budget lack this year as the promised full financial assistance from a sponsor did not materialize.
“Nonetheless, the BCBC is thankful to the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio and the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. for the P24,000 assistance which the club used as starting fund this year along with the annual assistance from the city government,” Dacawi said.
“The Search for the Lucky Summer Visitors is an original tourism project of the local media practitioners which was conceived in 1958 as a token of gratitude to the tourists for spending their summer vacation in the city boosting the city’s tourism industry long before Panagbenga came,” he said.
The camp will open on Monday to a native ritual of pig offering and blessing by a mambunong or native priest followed by a Eucharistic Mass on Wednesday.
Upon selection on Thursday, the visitors will be whisked away to Twin Peaks in Tuba, Benguet where they will be welcomed by Tuba town and barangays officials to be followed by a photo session at the Lion’s Head.
Upon arrival to the city, they will pay a call to Mayor Mauricio Domogan at City Hall and will proceed to the camp for lunch and later to Hotel Supreme where they will be billeted for the whole duration.
In the evening, they will be officially presented to the club members at the camp.
Their itinerary includes tours of Pugo, La Union, Philippine Military Academy, strawberry fields in La Trinidad, among others. /Aileen P. Refuerzo#
