History of Bayambang Municipal Tourism, Information, Culture and Arts Office

History of Bayambang Municipal Tourism, Information, Culture and Arts Office

 

Since the administration of Mayor Cezar T. Quiambao and Vice-Mayor Raul R. Sabangan, the creation of the Municipal Tourism Office paved the way for many firsts in the field of culture and arts through consistent support for artistic and cultural endeavors.

 

In 2016, independent filmmaker Christopher Q. Gozum was appointed as the Tourism Office-Designate. The Tourism Office, however, was yet unofficial (i.e., without the backing of an ordinance from Sangguniang Bayan).

 

After he decided to change careers, his position was taken over by Mrs. Gloria de Vera-Valenzuela.

 

Under her, the Municipal Council for Culture and the Arts was reactivated, encouraging participation from the private sector.

 

The Tourism Office improved the Municipal Public Plaza by creating a flower garden and erecting a giant ‘Balon Bayambang’ signage, now a favorite spot of locals and visitors alike to take selfies.

 

It treated the town's children to an annual animated Christmas display, the Paskuhan sa Bayambang, the biggest in the country according to the Rosario family of the COD Mall Christmas display fame in Cubao in the '70s.

 

It built a Mini-Amusement Park with fun rides at the plaza through the public-private partnership route of procurement.

 

These are the other historic firsts:

 

- First official hymn, the "Bayambang Hymn"

 

- First official social dance, the “Lanceros na Bayambang”

 

After the transfer of Mrs. Valenzuela to the Museum Office as Consultant, the vacated seat was occupied on July 17, 2017 by Mr. Rafael L. Saygo, a former teacher from Tococ National High School and St. Camillus Manaoag, as the first full-pledged Tourism Officer with the official title of Supervising Tourism Officer and later on, Senior Supervising Tourism Officer.

 

Under his leadership, the following were accomplished.

 

- Institutionalization of SingKapital or the commemoration of Bayambang as the country's fifth capital during the 1st Philippine Republic

 

- First-ever official Tourism Jingle

 

- First-ever official Binibining Bayambang jingle

 

- First-ever coffee-table book on Bayambang, "Subol na Pananisia" authored by Dr. Clarita D.G. Jimenez, which Mayor Quiambao and his wife Niña Jose-Quiambao helped finance personally.

 

- First-ever NCCA-independent and student-driven Culture Mapping Project (through the initiative of indie film director and Bayambang National High School teacher Christopher Q. Gozum), to inventory, document, and catalog the most important cultural resources of the town and help bring direction to the planned Bayambang Museum and thus hopefully preserve the town’s historical-cultural patrimony

 

The first-ever official Municipal Tourism Office proved instrumental in making the annual fiesta tradition and other celebrations thrilling and memorable, with such landmark events such as the first-ever riverside mural painting contest, first-ever cutest baby contest, and other fun, creative ideas, not to mention the lavish and star-studded holding of Bb. Bayambang beauty pageants using private funds. Then Municipal Administrator, Atty. Rodelynn Rajini A. Sagarino, was also among the creative forces behind these activities.

 

In 2019, the Office broke ground with the construction of the St. Vincent Ferrer Prayer Park, with a 50.23-meter tall bamboo statue of the town's patron, St. Vincent Ferrer, as its centerpiece, thus winning for Bayambang a second Guinness World Record title.

 

The office won the Department of Tourism’s Pearl Award for the 2017 Best Tourism Week/Month (Municipality) category. In another year, it won the DOT’s top award again for the Bayambang Culture Mapping Project.

 

In 2022, the Tourism Office absorbed the Public Information Office and Museum Office, to officially form the Municipal Tourism, Information, and Culture and Arts Office.