The Department of Tourism (DOT) is seeking to enhance the tour package for the newly launched “Pamatron: Samar Fiesta Experience” to make it more appealing not only to local tourists but also to returning overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and foreign visitors.
DOT Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes urged future participants of the Pamatron tours to provide detailed feedback to help improve and institutionalize the provincial tourism program.
Tiopes said the initiative is not meant to determine which municipality or city hosts the best Pamatron experience, but rather to continuously improve the program for tourists and participants alike.
“Every time we hold the Pamatron in one place, it becomes a learning experience for everyone. In every itinerary, we look for ways to improve until all the fiesta celebrations in Samar are completed. By the next round, the experience will be much better,” she told the Philippine News Agency.
The program was recently piloted in Matuguinao during the Makarato-Kahiaraan Festival, featuring spring resort excursions, cave exploration, and communal dining. Another leg was held in Calbiga during the Pahoy-Pahoy Festival, known for its giant dancing scarecrows.
After each tour, participants are asked to complete an assessment through a Google Form. Tiopes encouraged participants to go beyond sharing their experiences on social media and instead provide constructive feedback.
“I hope that our experiences in Matuguinao and Calbiga will not only remain on Facebook or in our memories. I hope we can provide feedback to the province because sometimes, we think everything is already okay, but there is always room for improvement,” she said.
“It should not be generic. The feedback should be specified. We need the details because this will be part of how to ultimately come up with guidelines on how to conduct the Pamatron and institutionalize it.”
Topes said the Pamatron experience transforms traditional town fiestas into immersive travel experiences. Tourists stay with local families or in hotels and take part in community traditions, including traditional cooking, religious and socio-cultural activities, and visits to eco-adventure sites such as caves, spring resorts, waterfalls, and mangrove forests.
The experience also includes fiesta preparations, masses, street dances, and parades. At the end of the tour, participants receive a “Certified Patronizer” certificate and food packages prepared during the fiesta celebration. (PNA)
