by Robbie Pangilinan

Tacloban City is the place to be – as proven at the 29th Philippine Travel Mart held on August 31 to September 2 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

Tacloban City won the best booth award as it showcased the best of the city including its tourist destination sites, food delicacies, local indigenous products and the beautiful hospitable ladies of the city.

“The Philippine Travel Mart is the perfect venue to show the country that vibrant Tacloban has indeed recovered from the 2013 devastation,” said Tacloban City Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, referring to Typhoon Yolanda that hit the city and claimed thousands of lives and destroyed millions of property.

Mayor Romualdez, who is very supportive of tourism-related endeavors, invites everyone to visit Tacloban, especially its beaches.

The Mayor congratulated the City Tourism Office, headed by Malu Tabao, with his team designer Daniel Guarino , Nick Guarino, Angela Perez, Billie Cinco, Bardot Atillo and tourism consultant Norma Morantte, for bringing home the award together with Samar province.

Organized by the Philippine Tour Operators Association Inc. (PHILTOA) and the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Travel Mart is a travel trade exhibition that promotes tourist destination sites in the country and markets them for domestic inbound tourism.