“Ibong Dayo Festival” joins hall of fame awardees

Contributed by Zeny M. Soriano

CITY of BALANGA – A neophyte politician and as such, a first time public figure, City Mayor Francis Garcia, accepted the challenge, knowing the gigantic pressure left by his two brothers, former City Mayors Abet and Joet Garcia, whose leadership elevated Balanga town into a premier city.

The City’s Ibong Dayo Festival emerged as a winner in the recently concluded 11th ATOP-Department of Tourism Award, hence joining the “Hall of Fame” awardees, having already won two consecutive awards as “Best Tourism Event – City Category” in the years 2014 and 2015. Said festival started during the term of then City Mayor Joet Garcia, now Congressman of the 2nd District.

In his defense at the National Validation of the 11th Pearl Award (2016 ATOP-DOT for Best Tourism Practices Award – City Category), City Mayor Francis Garcia made a mark by stressing, that the Ibong Dayo Festival has not only sustained and sealed the festival from just a city and province-wide event, but more so as an international gathering for bird watchers and migratory birds. This gave way to the holding of the internationally known 10th Philippine Bird Festival in 2015 here, a recognition of the City’s unrelenting support to the conservation of wildlife and the protection of the environment.

Moreover, Balanga City’s Wetland Park now serves as a total refuge for migratory birds which have recorded from an initial count of 4,429 birds in 2007 to a total count of 25,935 birds  January of this year.

It is also worth mentioning that, not only the migratory birds dramatically increased in number in several years but also the number of visitors/bird watchers from a mere, 19,353 in 2010 to 185,848 in 2015.

The Ibong Dayo Festival’s humble beginnings, have worked its way into becoming a major national festival attraction, and is an overwhelming joy for City Mayor Francis Garcia and his constituents when the announcement was made last October 6.