Lina-ay sang Negros, Vicky Marie Rushton (center) was crowned as Miss Western Visayas Tourism 2009. Right is Miss Dinagyang of Iloilo, Natalie Grace Roberts who was adjudged first-runner up and left is Miss Masskara Queen, Maria Aika Uy, 2nd runner-up during the pageant night, Capiz Gym, Dec. 5.

Roxas City- Vicky Marie Milagrosa Rushton was crowned as the Miss Western Visayas Tourism 2009, besting nine other beauty titlists from Region VI held at the Capiz Gym, Dec. 5.         

        Rushton also seized major awards such as Best Festival Costume, Best in Swimsuit and Best in Evening Gown. 

        Natalie Grace Roberts of the Miss Dinagyang was adjudged as 1^st runner-up and was awarded as the Best in Interview. 

        Maria Aika Uy, Miss Masskara Queen 2009 landed 2^nd runner-up and grabbed the Miss Congeniality Award. 

        Miss Sinadya sa Halaran, Jacqueline Kimpo proves that she has the sweetest smile by winning as the Miss Photogenic Award. 

       Other contestants of the said pageant were Ronelie Pador, Miss Ati-atihan of Aklan; Ruby Claire Lopez, Miss Binanog of the Municipality of Lambunao, Iloilo; Mary Anne Petrola, Miss Mangghan of Guimaras; Denzel Jodi Dagumampan, Miss Binirayan Festival of Antique; and Rency Custodio, Miss Paraw Regatta of Iloilo City.

        The awards Night was also in time with the Local Government Units’ (LGU) Night dubbed as “Gab-i sang Pagpasalamat,” which is one of the province’s highlight during the Sinadya sa Halaran Festival.

         Below are the awardees in their respective category:                        

Institutional Awards

1. WV Best Hotel (First Class) – L’Fisher Hotel, Bacolod City
2. WV Best Hotel (Standard Class) – The Sylvia Manor, Bacolod City
3. WV Best Resort (Class AAA) – Discovery Shores, Boracay
4. Special Award Tourism Council – Brgy. Dolores Tourism Council Inc., Nueva Valencia, Guimaras
5. Special Award Tourism Council – Sapal Brgy. Tourism Council, San Lorenzo, Guimaras
6. Special Award Tourism Council – Brgy. Salvacion Tourism Council Inc., Buenavista, Guimaras
7. Special Award Tourism Council – Brgy. Tourism Council of Tastasan, Buenavista, Guimaras
8. WV Best Tourism Council (Barangay) – Brgy. Hoskyn Tourism Council, Jordan, Guimaras
9. WV Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Municipality) – Nueva Valencia, Guimaras
10. Special Award Tourism Oriented LGU (Component City) – Silay City, Negros Occidental
11. WV Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Component City) – Bago City, Negros Occidental
12. WV Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Province) – Guimaras Province
13. WV Best Tourism Oriented LGU (Highly Urbanized City) – Bacolod City
14. WV Best Tourist Transport Operator – Nyala Tours

Individual Awards

1. WV Best Taxi Driver – Josel Malinaw, Faith Taxi, Bacolod City
2. WV Best Tour Guide – Melanie Ortega, Iloilo City
3. Special Award Tourism Officer – Angeles E. Gabinete, Guimaras
4. Special Award Tourism Officer  – Roselle Q. Ruiz, Aklan
5. WV Best Tourism Officer (Provincial Level) – Jennylind Cordero, Negros Occidental
6. WV Best Tourism Officer (Provincial Level) – Alphonsus Tesoro, Capiz
7. WV Best Tourism Officer (Component City) – Cristine Mansinares, Sipalay City

Creative Awards

1. Special Award Travel Writer – Gilbert Marin, Iloilo Province
2. WV Best Travel Writer – Luci Yunque, Talisay City
3. Special Award, Travel Publication – Ang Bagonhon, Bago City
4. Special Award, Travel Publication – Silay, The Sweet Life
5. Special Award, Travel Publication – Sunstar Bacolod

Special Awards

1. Ms. Elma Gerasmo, Bacolod City
2. Special Award Eco-Tourism Product – Balaring Mangrove
3. WV Best Eco Tourism Product – Culajao Mangrove Eco-Park
4. Special Award Destination (Emerging) – Lawi Marine Turtle Rescue Center
5. Special Award Destination (Emerging) – Sapal Weaving Village
6. WV Best Destination Award (Emerging)- Guisi Community-based Heritage Tourism Project

Lifetime Achievement Award

1. Manuel Villa, Jr.

Regional Director’s Awards

1. Gov. Victor Tanco, Province of Capiz
2. Severino Pacete
3. Jose Parreño, Jr.
4. GDR Taxi
5. Gov. Carlito Marquez, Province of Aklan

SPECIAL AWARDS

 (Outstanding participation in the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly Cultural Showcase)

1. Province of Capiz
2. Valladolid Ugyon Cultural Ensemble
3. U.S.A Kawilihan Dance troupe and Annie Divinagracia Sartorio School of Performing Arts.
4. Bacolod Masskara Cultural Performer
5. “Saad sang Leganes” Leganes National High School Performing Arts
6. Province of Guimaras
7. Teatro Paranublion
8. NVC Performing Arts Guild and Arts Council of Aklan Foundation

 (Outstanding participation in the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly Parade of Festivals)

1. Manggahan sang Guimaras Tribe
2. Bacolod Masskara Festival Dance Group
3. Tribu Busilak (Antique National School)
4. Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City
5. Sinadya sa Halaran
6. Sigabong sang mga Kanyon Bago City
7. Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival
8. Kalibo Ati-atihan
9. Pasalamat Festival of La Carlota City
10. Kahilwayan Festival
11. Iloilo Dinagyang Festival
12. Ibajay Ati-ati

 (For unwavering support to the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly Travel Fair in showcasing the best tourism destinations, products, facilities and services.)

1. Province of Negros Occidental
2. Province of Antique
3. Province of Capiz
4. Bacolod City
5. Iloilo City
6. Province of Guimaras
7. Province of Aklan
8. Province of Iloilo

         On December 4, 2009, the region’s famous festivals will kick-off the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly on Dec. 4, 2009, 2:30 PM, Roxas City, Capiz. The contingents expected to perform are the Kanyon Festival of Bago City, Parraw Regatta of Iloilo City, Pintabata/Pintaflores Festival of San Carlos City, Binirayan Festival of Antique, Manggahan Festival of Guimaras, Drum Betters of La Carlota, Ati-ati of Ibajay, Ati-atihan Festival of Aklan, Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo, Masskara Festival of Bacolod City, Kahilwayan of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo and Sinadya sa Halaran Festival of Roxas City.

         The parade will be followed with the opening ceremony at the Capiz Gym to be graced by the region’s local officials and government executives who are also in the province for the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting.

        Beauty titlists who will be competing for the Miss Western Visayas Tourism will also be joining the parade and will be formally introduced to the guests and onlookers of the program. The pageant night will be on Dec. 5.

            The Miss Western Visayas Tourism is one of the major activities in the forthcoming Western Visayas Tourism Assembly slated on December 4-6 in the Villareal Stadium, Roxas City. This year’s host is the Provincial Government of Capiz which is now gearing up for the coming of the prestigious event.

1. Western Visayas’ Best Hotel (First Class, Standard Class, Economy Class)
2. Western Visayas’ Best Special Accommodation Facility
3. Western Visayas’ Best Resort (Class AAA, AA, A, Special Interest Resort)
4. Western Visayas’ Best Restaurant
5. Western Visayas’ Best Tour Operator
6. Western Visayas’ Best Tourism Event
7. Western Visayas’ Best Tourism Convention/Marketing Bureau
8. Western Visayas’ Best Tourism Council/ Association
9. Western Visayas’ Best LGU (Provincial/City/Component City/Municipal)
10. Western Visayas’ Best Tourist Transport Operator

B. CREATIVE AWARDS – presented in recognition of the professional skills and insights of individuals and entities in their marketing, advertising and promotional efforts, taking into account the creativity, imagination, ingenuity and factual presentation of information, organization and implementation.

1. Western Visayas’ Best Tour Package
2. Western Visayas’ Travel Writer
3. Western Visayas’ Travel Publication
4. Western Visayas’ Best Travel Photo

C. INDIVIDUAL AWARDS – presented in recognition of individuals directly or indirectly engaged in the industry who lives up to the high standard of service and customer/client satisfaction.

1. Western Visayas’ Best Tour Guide
2. Western Visayas’ Best Tourism Frontliner
3. Western Visayas’ Best Taxi Driver
4. Western Visayas’ Best Tourist Transport Driver
5. Western Visayas’ Best Tourism Office Award (Provincial/City/Component City/Municipal)

D.  DESTINATION AWARD – presented to a destination in recognition of its contribution to the development and promotion of the tourism industry through the cooperative efforts exhibited by both private and local government sector.

E. SPECIAL AWARDS

       Environmental Tourism   

1. Western Visayas’  Best Eco-Tourism Product
2. Western Visayas’  Best Business Practice.

F. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – presented to an individual in recognition of his/her noteworthy career as a tourism practitioner.

G. REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S AWARD – this special award recognizes an outstanding contribution by an individual or a private organization to the development and promotion of the tourism industry in Western Visayas. This contribution should have a significant impact and bring about long term positive benefits to the industry.

The annual Western Visayas Tourism Assembly is a gathering of the tourism stakeholders from both the government and private sector and provides platform for exchanging and discussing critical issues of common concern, renewing ties and linakges, sharing and learning from best practice experiences, ideas and inspiring stories and marketing of new products.

This year’s assembly integrates wellness and tourism promotion and sessions on the National Tourism Act of 2009 and its impacts on domestic tourism development.

This year’s assembly theme is:“The National Tourism Act:Meeting the Challenges of Domestic Tourism.”

Proposed activities include tourism showcasing of destinations, services and facilities by local government units in the region, full gala parade of festivals to be participated in by popular festivals in the region during the opening day; tourism forum where experts will discuss new development in the industry and regional awards for outstanding and meritorious services and best practices in the industry.

Further, there will be a selection of Miss Western Visayas Tourism, food festival to be mounted by hoteliers and restaurant owners to be complemented by band concerts and fireworks display from the DOT; LGU nights to feature emerging, and discovered talents in culture and arts and invitational program for tour operators, travel agents, travel writers and photo journalists where they can stay in Capiz to feature new places, promote packages and talk to people to encourage clients to visit Western Visayas’ tourism destinations.

The three-day assembly seeks to:

1. Provide a venue for integrating regional and local efforts at touris promotion.
2. Recognize excellence by fostering showcase elements and tourism products.
3. Learn and interact with expert speakers on the National Tourism Act of 2009 and its implementing Riles and Regulations.
4. Strenthen LGU and private sector commitments to local initiatives and efforts.

Indicative Activities:

1. Travel Fair and Mart
2. Tourism Conference
3. Parade of Festivals
4. Cultural Showcase
5. Search for Miss WV Tourism
6. Tourism Awards
7. Travel Invitational
8. Food Festival