iSIQUIJOR Information is our business.
THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH VOL. 3 | NO.17 May 11 - 17, 2015
PPDO says Siquijor island tourist arrival soars
by Rizalie Anding Calibo
SIQUIJOR (PIA) - - With Siquijor island becoming a haven for tourists, foreign and domestic arrivals continue to soar with France, USA, Germany, United Kingdom and China nationals topped the list of staying foreign tourists. Siquijor Provincial Planning and Development O ff i c e r G l a d y s E s t r e l l a d a r e p o r t e d t h i s d u r i n g t h e Green Economic Development Sensitization and Business Matching for Tourism Enterprises in the island. Estrellada presented the island’s tourism trend showing a good leap in the last six years. Staying and walk-in tourists soared in 2014 with 209,819 from 71,178 in 2008; 104,474 in 2009; 112,658 in 2010; 123,864 in 2011; 126,172 in 2012 and 150,889 in 2013. Domestic and foreign staying tourists were registered at 23,345 and 17,140, respectively or a total of 40,485 in 2014 from 33,431 in 2013. Tourism data also shows 88% of the tourists come to the island for pleasure and vacation; 8% come to visit friends and relatives while 4% come for business professional work and other activities. Thirty five percent of those tourists indulged in marine activities such as diving, snorkelling and paddle boating; 31% mainly come for relaxation and resting; 22% went to mountains and nature activities like biking, trekking, spelunking and swimming; while 11% of the tourists wanted to experience Siquijor culture with visits to the old churches and convent, folk healing and festivals. Siquijor island has now a total of 108 accommodations establishments with 678 rooms including resorts, inns, hotels and homestay. (mbcn/rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
Provincial Planning and Development Officer Gladys Estrellada giving updates on Facts and Figures of Siquijor Tourism. (rac/PIA7-Siquijor)
Central Visayas gears up for POPCEN 2015 (PIA) -- Key government offices in Region 7 recently met to plan preliminary measures in a bid to ensure the successful implementation of the new round of Census of Population (POPCEN) this year. National Economic Development Authority (NEDA-7) Regional Director Efren Carreon convened on May 7 the members of the 2015 Census of Population Regional Census Coordinating Board (RCCB) led by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). During the meeting, Carreon said the new data that will be collected during the census is vital in policy-making measures. “We need the exact figures that are reflective of what is happening at the local levels,” he said. The last population census in the country was done in 2010, which placed the Philippine population at more than
92 million, or specifically 92,337,852. Held every five years, this year’s census of population will be done for 25 days from August 1 to 30 in the total 42,029 barangays across the country. This year’s census will include new information to be collected, such as deaths among family members, religious affiliation, and basic literacy, among others. For Region 7 alone, around 8,000 enumerators will be hired to carry out the complete enumeration of households in the four provinces under Central Visayas, namely Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. PSA-7 Interim Regional Director Ariel Florendo said the training and orientation for the enumerators is set in June. Florendo, during the RCCB meeting, pointed to the lack of qualified
enumerators in the barangays as one of the issues they will have to address. “We prefer the enumerators to come from the areas where they will be assigned because they are familiar with the terrain and the people. This is important as the census will be done down to the barangay level,” he said. He also appealed to the local government units (LGUs) and the community for their full support to make this year’s census of population successful. “Since the census will be done house to house, we need the support of the LGUs and the public, from the municipalities and cities and those in the remote barangays,” said Florendo. The 2015 POPCEN will be the 14th census to be carried out in the country since 1903, and the 3rd population census to be conducted in between two decennial censuses. (rmn/PIA-7 Cebu)