Baguio City 60th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament to Push Through
Baguio City is ready for the 60th Fil-Am Invitational Golf Tournament, which will be hosted by the Camp John Hay Golf Club and the Baguio Country Club, will push through with its schedule on November 25 to December 12.
This was confirmed by CJH Golf Club Manager Tim Allen, during a press conference at the Baguio Country Club.
The said event, which has 1,200 registered participants, will be a big boost to the city's economy, and will be big help for the recovery of the tourism sector, particularly the hospitality and service sectors.
"All systems go, Baguio City is good for business. The Manor, The Baguio Country Club, as well as all the other hotels in the city are ready to serve the participants. Most of the tourist spots in the city are also less affected by the recent typhoon," said Allen.
Typhoon "Pepeng's" three-time comeback which mustered volumes of rainfall claimed 199 lives, and damaged millions-worth of properties, crops and road networks in the province, the hardest hit in the Cordillera Region.
Baguio Country Club
"The 60th Fil-Am Golf tournament will now be more than just a golf game, as it will be also a vehicle to recovery of the people and the development of Baguio City. Our hearts and prayers are for those who died and affected by the recent calamity, so we are all committed, individually, as a group or as a company to assist in the quickest recovery and development of Baguio," Allen added.
Allen is calling all the participants to come up to Baguio, as the tourism industry of the city is ready to serve them, and help in whatever way they can.
Nannette Filler, Fil-AM Golf Foundation Board of Trustee member, also assured all participants to give them the best (tournament and service) and let them feel how good it is for being in Baguio. "The golfers will not only be playing golf but is also helping the economy of the city, as well as the country," Filler added.
On the down side, the Philippine Ad Congress 2009 cancelled the scheduled conference in Baguio City slated for November 18-20.
In a letter to Mayor Reinaldo Bautista, the Ad Congress committee stated that it is still unsafe to push through with the event due to the damages wrought by Typhoon Pepeng.
According to Hotel and Restaurants Association of Baguio (HRAB) president, Baguio Convention and Visitors Bureau chair and Baguio Country Club General Manager Anthony De Leon, the cancellation would result to more than P100 Million of losses to the tourism of the city and to the hotel industry, as there were about 2,400 room reservations for the event.
De Leon said the event could have make the recovery of Baguio City easier and faster, though he also expressed optimism that we could still overcome this. De Leon also reiterated his assurance to the public that there is no damage in the city's tourism potential, capacity and services.
