SAN JOSE De BUENAVISTA, Antique -- A PHP10-million two-storey tourism office will soon rise beside the New Capitol Building here to be funded by a donation from the Buhay party-list group.
The building’s ground floor will serve as showroom of products of micro, small and medium entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in the province, among them native bags are plate mats, turmeric, ginger and other herbal drinks, and food items. The second floor will be the tourism office, Antique provincial tourism officer Jose Ramlo Villaluna said in an interview Thursday.
“We are also inviting local artists to display their paintings and artworks,” Villaluna said adding that he looks forward to seeing the building constructed and become operational within the year.
The winning contractor is just waiting for the notice to proceed so that construction could begin.
Meanwhile, Villaluna, who is supportive of the thrust of new Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, said his office will give priority to culinary and farm tourism.
“We are now in the process of identifying native foods in Antique that could be promoted as tourist attraction,” he said.
Villaluna is a topnotch chef and tourism department-accredited national master trainer for the Community-Based Kulinarya Program. (PNA)
