04 October 2014 - The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu, in partnership with its partner tour and travel consolidators from Hawaii, successfully held a Post-Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) Reunion on September 30 at the Philippine Consulate General’s Alay sa Sakada Lanai to show appreciation for the participants to this year’s 9th ACGTDT as well as to drum up interest and support for the 10th ACGTDT next year.
Over 70 individuals comprising of past ACGTDT participants and their guests, media and other travel agents attended the reunion.
“This annual tour to the Philippines gives an opportunity to our kababayans in the US, especially those who have not come home in years, to travel home VIP style and experience all the wonders, good food and great hospitality that our country offers. I thank all of you for participating in this joint undertaking of the Department of Foreign Affairs, through the Philippine Foreign Service Posts in the US, and the Department of Tourism (DOT),” Philippine Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin said in her remarks during the program.
She also expressed hope that more participants from Hawaii will join next year’s tour as 2015 marks the ACGTDT’s 10th year, a milestone in the history of the Tour. She also noted that the Department of Tourism has recently declared 2015 as “Visit the Philippines Year” in a bid to attract more foreign tourists to the fast-rising favorite destinations of high-value tourists.
The event’s program included a short movie clip which featured highlights of the 9th ACGTDT collated from official photographs and personal photos and videos of participants from Hawaii. Consul General Jamoralin also presented Certificates of Recognition to two individuals who have participated in the ACGTDT for five years or more, namely Mr. Robert Tabaniag and Mr. David Asanuma.
The Consulate General’s partner tour consolidators, Aloha Travel, Everlasting Travel, Panda Travel and Noble Travel and Philippine Airlines supported this event and shared their experiences from previous tours. Past ACGTDT participants Mr. Allan Alvarez, a popular broadcast personality and Mr. Mike Dahilig, Hawaii’s delegate to the 3rd Filipino American Youth Leadership Program (FYLPRO) also shared their memories of the tour.
The Consul General also thanked the Philippine Tourism Office in Los Angeles for supporting this event by providing DOT souvenir tokens for the participants.
The attendees then partook of a simple salo-salo prepared by the Consulate General and its partner tour consolidators. END