DOT holds tour package dev't and delivery seminar

"Antique should move from awareness to selling," said Atty. Helen Catalbas, Regional Director of the Department of Tourism  VI.

Atty. Catalbas also said that hopefully by the end of the  seminar-workshop, participants will be able to put together a travel itinerary for Antique that is salable to the market.


Statistics  have shown that Antique is the least visited Province in Western Visayas. The Province tourism industry has been lackluster despite its proximity to world-renowned Boracay and Iloilo City. 

In line with this thrust, DOT VI with DOT Office of Tourism Standards and Regulations and  held a two-day tour package development and delivery seminar-workshop on January 28-29, 2014.

Mr. Bien Claravall, a  noted professor from the University of the Philippines Diliman Asian Institute of Tourism and writer of tourism textbook Travel and Tour Operations in the Philippines was the resource speaker.

The seminar-workshop was attended by tourism front liners from the local government units and private sector tourism from all over the Province.

Event was held in Adelaide Tourist and Travellers Inn, a DOT-Accredited establishment in the capital town of San Jose de Buenavista .

San Jose dB, DOT train site guides for town's main attractions

The local government of San Jose de Buenavista in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) conducted a tourist reception and basic tour guiding techniques seminar.

According to DOT, The seminar was designed to develop and improve the performance of front-liners in rendering first rate professional service in the tourism industry.

Moreover, the LGU hopes to improve the service in its main tourist attractions - Farmville and the Marine Protected Area especially the Coastal Resource Management (CRM) Mini Galley.

Farmville is an LGU-owned demo farm for integrated organic farming, which offers tour, lectures and training on organic farming techniques.

The CRM Mini Galley offers discovery tour of the marine ecosystem and environmental protection and conservation while the Marine Protected Area is open for snorkeling activities thru the CRM Mini Galley.

Participants from allied services such as accommodation establishments and souvenir/ craft shop also attended the training.

On the last day of the training, a mock tour was conducted to assess the compentency of the participants.

Mayor Rony Molina hopes to conduct tourist reception training to tricycle and jeepney drivers in the Municipality. 

Festival celebrations boost San Jose dB tourism arrivals

San Jose de Buenavista has observed significant increase in tourist arrival during months with festivals held in the Municipality in 2012.

Statistics report showed significant increase in the month of November and December when Binirayan Festival - provincial festival, was celebrated.

December, 2012 was quite exceptional with  arrival statistics of more than double than that of the same period in 2011.

In 2011, an unexpected spike in tourism arrival was recorded on the month of February when the 25th death anniversary of  the late governor Evelio B. Javier was celebrated. 

Tourism statistics report is gathered from registered accommodation establishments in the Municipality.

Tribu Mandaragat is Kasadyahan 2013 4th Runner-Up

Tribu Mandaragat of San Jose de Buenavista wass awarded as 4th Runner-Up in the recently held Kasadyahan Region Cultural Competition.

Kasadyahan aims to showcase and celebrate the cultural heritage of participating local government units thru a street dance drama.  The event was an opportunity to showcase the cultural heritage of the Province of Antique represented by San Jose de Buenavista and a platform to promote San Jose de Buenavista as a tourist destination.

Tribu Mandaragat was composed of students from Antique National School.

Kasadyahan Cultural Dance Results:

Major Award:
Champion - Salakayan – Miagao, Iloilo
1st runner-up - Tribu Kaing – Leon, Iloilo
2nd runner-up - Tribu Bayluhay – San Joaquin, Iloilo
3rd runner-up - Tribu Pagdayaw – Dumarao, Capiz
4th runner-up - Tribu Mandaragat – San Jose de Buenavista, Antique

Special Award:
Best Choreography -Salakayan – Miagao, Iloilo
Best Choreographer -Salakayan – Miagao, Iloilo
Best Music - Tribu Kaing – Leon, Iloilo
Best Musical Director -Tribu Kaing – Leon, Iloilo
Best in Costume - Tribu Kaing – Leon, Iloilo
Best Performance - Salakayan – Miagao, Iloilo
Best in Street Dance - Salakayan – Miagao, Iloilo


 *Kodus to Antique National School!

What is in San Jose de Buenavista tourism industry?

What is in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique when we talk about tourism? Is there something for the Municipality in tourism? Wat needs to be done to encourage tourism in the Municipality?

These were the the questions the municipal LGU of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique is trying to answer in a multi-stakeholder workshop.

In attendance in the workshop were industry players - accommodation, food and beverage service, resort, transportation and souvenir sectors; local government decision-makers – planning officer, municipal engineer, investment promotion officer, sangguniang bayan members, barangay official, disaster manager; provincial government; academe; support agencies – Department of Trade and Industry; and local chamber of commerce.

This activity aims to were convened to determine the tourism direction of the town.

It is expected that after the workshop, the LGU will be able to come up a Municipal Tourism Development Plan and a Municipal Tourism Code.

Mayor Rony L. Molina, in his message stressed the importance of the multi-sectoral planning workshop so that the development effort of the private and public sector is synchronized.

San Jose de Buenavista is the capital town of the Province of Antique and is the center of trade, commerce and finance of the Province. It is the center of provincial government/ administration.

It serves as the tourism service center of the Province. It offers an array of conveniences, supplies and support facilities to visitors such as restaurants, fastfood stores, grocery and shopping stores, gaming and gambling establishments, banks and transport terminals. It also offers venue and infrastructure for various events such as sports competitions, meetings, trainings and seminars, and weddings and tourism activities like shopping and dining.

In the workshop, stakeholders sees that San Jose de Buenavista could capitalize on the available infrastructure, amenities and services to expand the business tourism market to MICE (meetings, incentives, conference and events/ exhibitions).


San Jose de Buenavista has been one of the pioneering LGUs in the Philippines in the Developing Tourism Statistics for Local Government Units project of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

It has been chosen as one of the presenter in the 1st National Tourism Statistics Conference (pictures album 1, album 2) held in Manila, February this year.


The local Planning and Development Office hopes that the Municipality will serve as model for other LGUs wanting to engage in tourism but sees little hope for the industry in their locality.