Top officials inaugurated the newly completed Tourist Rest Area (TRA) in Carcar City, a landmark project by the Department of Tourism on Sunday, Aug. 27.
This is the second TRA to open here in Cebu after the first-ever TRA which opened in Medellin, northern Cebu last July 10.
Leading the inauguration rites on Sunday are no less than Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco, Vice President Sara Duterte, First Lady Liza Marcos, Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Chief Operating Officer Mark Lapid, Senators Lito Lapid and Bong Revilla, Tourism Usec. Shalimar Tamano, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Visayas (OPAV) Chief Terrence Calatrava, Carcar Mayor Patrick Barcenas, Deputy Speaker Duke Frasco, other Cebu congressmen, and other local officials.
Sec. Frasco officially turned over the symbolic key of the new facility to Mayor Barcenas, as the LGU of Carcar City will now lead the operations and maintenance of the TRA. More TRAs are expected to open in Cebu in the coming months, which will further boost the overall tourist experience of those visiting the province.
The TRA is a convergence point that foreign and local travelers could approach to get information on tourism sites and attractions, activities, accommodations; reporting concerns related to safety and security; and gaining access to one of the most basic necessities of travel–clean and decent restrooms and pasalubong center.
Tourists traveling to the southern part of Cebu can now make a stopover at the TRA in Carcar to avail of its free services, including the use of its charging station, and comfortable seating to rest in between travels. | Carlo Lorenciana