TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Office of the City Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Affairs (OCTACA), formerly known as the Tourism Investment Promotion Office, gave an update on their accomplishments, current activities, and future goals during the Flag Ceremony that was held for all of the personnel working in Tabuk City Hall.
A summary of all visitors to Tabuk City was given by Ms. Arlene B. Odiem, City Tourism Officer. In 2020, there were 22,885 visitors, followed by 104,405 in 2021 and 29,682 in the first quarter of 2022 most of whom are local tourists and some foreigners.
Additionally, tourists are strongly urged to utilize the official hashtags #BalikanAngTabuk and #DiscoverbeCaptivatedandExplore when posting, according to Mr. Ranier Cirilio Sarol, Supervising Admin Officer for the Tourism Promotion and Standards Division.
Ms. Odiem also shared that following the implementation of the reorganizational structure by the City Mayor Darwin C. Estrañero, the name of the Tourism Investment Promotion Office has been replaced with the name Office of the City Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Affairs (OCTACA). In light of this information, OCTACA now has four sections, which are the Planning and Monitoring section, Research and Information Section, Standard and Regulation Section, and Marketing and Promotion Section, respectively. “Agyaman kami unay ti reorganizational structure nga naaramid ta addan ti sursuruten tayu nga nasayaat nga dalan” according to Ms. Odiem.
Additionally, OCTACA hosted a number of trainings and seminars and provided assistance to a number of tourism-related events held outside of Tabuk. The OCTACA is excited about their future events, which includes the World Tourism Month in September and the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines (ATOP) Convention in October. In addition, Ms. Arlene B. Odiem continues to serve as the Regional Representative for the Cordillera Region within the ATOP.
By Leebronn Baliang Diasen