𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐘. 𝐀𝐂𝐄: 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐆𝐎𝐕. 𝐏𝐀𝐌 ‘𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆,’ 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐋
For someone who has spent many years in public service, working with Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro has been “very refreshing.”
This was how Cebu Provincial Administrator Atty. Ace Durano described his experience serving as the governor’s second-in-command in the executive department. As Provincial Administrator, Atty. Durano oversees the implementation and monitors the progress of programs and projects across Capitol departments.
“Guv is aksyonista. Dili siya ganahan daghan pang istorya, dagha’ng pasikot-sikot. Ang iyaha, unsaon ni nato pagbuhat? How to implement?” Atty. Durano said during the February 23 episode of “iStorya Cebu,” an online talk show produced by the Provincial Government and hosted by Information Officer Ainjeliz de la Torre-Orong.
“Kana gud nga dugay naka sa gobyerno, mora’g maanad na lang ka sa bureaucracy. Wala gyud pasensya si Guv para ana. It’s very refreshing for me nga dugay-dugay na sa gobyerno nga pwedi man diay ingon ani-on,” he added.
Atty. Durano previously served as Fifth District Congressman from 1998 to 2004. He later joined the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) from 2004 to 2010, and returned to Congress from 2013 to 2016.
He also shared what many Capitol employees have observed: Governor Baricuatro is always on time out of respect for other people’s schedules, and she is not a micromanager. Instead, she trusts and empowers her department heads.
“Guv sets the tone, which I think is the primary role of a leader. Let your managers do the work, but you have to set the tempo and the tone,” he said.
REVIVING CEBU TOURISM
As a former tourism chief, Atty. Durano is well aware of the challenges facing the industry. He noted that just before Gov. Baricuatro assumed office last year, Cebu experienced a 40 percent drop in foreign tourist arrivals — a stark contrast to his time at the DOT, when Cebu was the country’s top destination for foreign visitors.
Given the provincial government’s limited budget for tourism promotions, Atty. Durano said the Capitol is adopting a business-to-business marketing strategy to fulfill the governor’s directive of restoring Cebu’s former tourism strength.
He said the Provincial Tourism Office, now led by former DOT-7 Director Rowena Montecillo, is negotiating with two to three major tour operators and travel agencies in key markets such as China, South Korea, and Japan to directly sell Cebu travel packages to their clients.
“Duha or tulo ka dagko’ng travel agencies anang lugara ang atong istoryahon, that can bring thousands of tourists already,” he said, explaining that this approach is more cost-effective than marketing to an entire country through broad international campaigns.
To support this strategy, Atty. Durano said Cebu will participate in major international travel trade fairs, where direct negotiations with large travel agencies take place. This year, the province is set to join the World Travel Market in London and the Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) in Germany, as well as similar trade fairs in Japan, Korea, and China.
He also shared that Montecillo is coordinating with the Chinese consulate and private sector partners to organize a “familiarization trip” for Chinese travel agencies. The goal is to bring them to Cebu, showcase its attractions firsthand, and enable them to effectively promote Cebu to their clients.
“Mao ni ang tinud-anay nga suroy-suroy, dili kita ang magsuroy-suroy. Ang mobaligya sa atong mga destinations ang kinahanglan mosuroy,” he said.
The province is also working with Australian travel operators in anticipation of increased arrivals following the establishment of direct flights between Cebu and Brisbane.
“Ang tumong gyod sa suroy-suroy nato karon nga turista gyod ang moabot, dili lang anang adlawa nga gi-schedule, pero sustainable. Nga inig kahuman sa atong programa sa pag-promote sa usa ka lugar, dayon-dayon na ang pag-anha sa mga turista, all year round,” he said.
Atty. Durano emphasized that Cebu’s competitive edge lies in its diversity of experiences.
“The advantage of Cebu, it is the only destination in Southeast Asia that integrates all the experiences that travelers look for. From urban life to rural life, to city life to beach life, to secular experiences to spiritual experiences, and more. That’s where the uniqueness of Cebu lies,” he said. |𝑪𝑨𝑷𝑰𝑻𝑶𝑳 𝑷𝑰𝑶, 𝑷𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑹𝑱𝑹
Check this also: CIIS 2026 Day 3 Highlights Tourism, Lifestyle, and Experience Economy Opportunities in Cebu
