Legazpi City is set to host the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary’s (PCGA) 39th National Convention (NatCon), scheduled for May 24 and 25.
Agapita Pacres, chief of the City Tourism Office (CTO), revealed in an interview on Thursday, February 22, that they have had initial meeting with various hotel owners in preparation for the said event to be held at the Legazpi City Convention Center (L3C), where at least 2,500 participants are expected to attend.
“The NatCon materialized after Legazpi City won in the bidding against other cities two years ago because all the conventions and other similar gatherings would go through the bidding process as part of the procedure before the interested local government units could host the events,” Pacres explained.
Pacres further stated that they will ask hotel owners to offer special rates to the delegates and accord them with appropriate services to respond to their needs while in the city.
“Aside from the PCGA, other national and local organizations have signified already to also hold their events and activities here in Legazpi including the Bicol Food, Tourism, Travel, and Events Expo2024 (BIFFTEX); World Food Expo (WOFEX) Bicol 2024; Bicol Drag Race Championship (BDRC) Season 2, Leg 1; Palarong Bicol; and, Bicol Information Technology and Education Expo (BITEX),” Pacres said.
Other events slated to be conducted in the city are the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Luzon Friendship Games; Philippine Society of Agricultural and Bio-Systems Engineers (PSABE) Annual National/International Convention and Agri-Engineering Week Celebration; Milo Active Pilipinas National Marathon; Department of Justice (DOJ) Regional Convention; Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISSA) National Collegiate Games; 2nd Bicol Motor Expo; 6th Bicol Construction Expo (BICONEX); and A Night of Music with Pacific Partnership.
Furthermore, the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ACCI) 120th Founding Anniversary, the International Research Conference, and the 1st Bicol Business and Franchise Expo (BIBFEX) also chose Legazpi City as their host site.
Pacres claimed that the list of events in her office is expected to further grow in numbers, with other organizations already indicating their intentions to hold activities in the city this year.
In addition to said events, Pacres also emphasized that the city government will be celebrating the Ibalong Festival 2024, featuring various sporting events expected to then again attract both national and international athletes.
According to Pacres, said gatherings and conventions are poised to boost tourism and are expected to positively impact the income of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), particularly in the hospitality, restaurant, and transportation sectors.
“The CTO has recorded around 523,763 tourist arrivals in 2023. But the figure is expected to double this year because of these events to be held here this year,” Pacres added. I Emmanuel Solis