BusinessWeek M I N DA N A O CREDIBLE
Volume XII, No. 33
Market Indicators
AS OF 6:00 PM AUGUST 26, 2021 (THURSDAY)
FOREX
PHISIX
US$1 = P 49.85
6,822.15
X X Briefly
0.16
143.33
cents
points
Tourism arrivals SOUTH Cotabato province’s tourism industry continued to thrive in the first six months of the year as tourist arrivals increased by nearly 300 percent from last year despite the threats posed by the continuing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. Richie Matunding, p r o g r a m assi st ant of the South Cotabato Arts, Culture Tourism and Museum unit, said Wednesday the province posted a total of 712,053 domestic and foreign visitors from January to June, rebounding from the record slump last year. He said such figure is up by 296.59 percent from the 179,543 visitors recorded in the same period in 2020.
Easing restrictions SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua hopes that community quarantine measures next month would be less restrictive to ease the impacts of lockdowns on the economy. During the Manufacturing Summit Thursday, Chua said 54 percent of the economy is currently under modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) which is affecting 15.6 million workers. “We hope to move towards a less stringent quarantine in the coming weeks as we address the Delta variant… We will continue to review the economic and health data so we can move as sooner to a more relaxed quarantine to allow more people to go back to work,” he said.
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Halal tourism: Glimpse of Mindanao food, heritage T www.businessweekmindanao.com
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HE Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched the "Halal Culinary Tourism" intending to attract even non-Muslims to try Mindanao's best Halal-certified food.
Coinciding with the recent celebration of the Muslim festival Eid al-Adha, the DOT is confident this initiative would promote not only the region's cuisine but also its people's culture and tradition.
“Food is an important part of a tourism experience. It gives us a glimpse of a place’s culture and heritage. Through the development of Halal Culinary Tourism, HALAL/PAGE 9
Virus infection rate lowers in CDO – OCTA By FROILAN GALLARDO, MindaNews
THE COVID-19 infection rate in Cagayan de Oro City has decreased from 1.38 percent to 1.15 percent in the past seven days, the OCTA Research said in its August 25 monitoring report. The report was welcome news for residents who have reeled from a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths starting in July this year.
“If the trends continue, Cagayan de Oro should see the start to see a decrease in new COVID-19 cases in one or two weeks,” the independent research group said. Data showed that from August 18-24, the city had an average of 182 new COVID-19 cases. LOWERS/PAGE 11
BUKIDNON AIRPORT. A dump truck traverses the would-be runway of an airport which is being constructed in Barangay Maraymaray in Don Carlos, Bukidnon. The project costs P272 million, according to the contract agreement between the Department of Transportation and the contractor, Unimasters Conglomeration Inc., which was published on the DOTr website. mindanews photo by h . marcos c . mordeno
Burias: Beyond Sarangani town’s famed Gumasa white beaches By BONG S. SARMIENTO, MindaNews
GLAN, Sarangani — Over the years, tens of thousands of local tourists have been flocking annually to this
Carlo Paalam's Homecoming Reunion with Oro Boxers
SEE ARTICLE on PAGE 3
idyllic, century-old town largely due to its fine white sand beaches in Barangay Gumasa, which is being hyped as the “Boracay of the South.” But beyond the famous beaches in Gumasa lies another charming powdery white sand coastline still in very pristine condition that offers no-frill adventures and chill time away from the urban jungle. Fifteen kilometers away from Gumasa is Barangay
Burias, which is becoming popular to tourists looking for secluded and enchanting swimming spots to spend the weekends or holidays. The trip to Burias in itself provides a refreshing sight. The left side of the concrete, winding road offers a view of the rolling hills and plains planted with coconut and corn crops. On the right side, the majestic Sarangani Bay can be seen in some parts of the highway. From the main highway, GUMASA/PAGE 9
WHITE BEACH. Famous for its white sand beaches, Glan is the major tourist destination in Sarangani province. mindanews photo by bong s . sarmiento
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