Lakbay-Lahi is coined from two Filipino words: “Lakbay” which means to go on a journey or to take a trip, and “Lahi” which refers to race, ethnicity, and ancestry.
The program draws inspiration from Cebu’s Suroy-Suroy Sugbo. The Suroy- Suroy Sugbo Program is a tourism promotion and marketing strategy initiated by Gov. Gwendolyn F. Garcia in 2008, that continues to this day. The program brought tourism into the countryside, expanding the usual image of Cebu as a destination only for white sand beaches and dive spots. The Program included the conduct of a massive, community-based participatory cultural mapping program in all the towns and cities of the province to document their natural and cultural heritage assets to be showcased to instill ‘pride of place as a prelude to welcoming tourists and visitors.
The Lakbay-Lahi Program is an expansion of the concept to cover all the regions of the country, in an effort to equalize opportunities and spread the benefits of tourism across lesser-known destinations. This is expected to be launched in 2023, with preparatory activities to be undertaken in 2022.
In this light, the Department of Tourism Region 9 has identified one of the region’s top destinations, Dipolog and Dapitan called as the “twin cities” of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Peninsula to be the venue of the Region 9 Launch of the Lakbay Lahi: Philippine Culture, Heritage and Arts
Caravans in Zamboanga del Norte dubbed as “L4D: Laag Na! Dali sa Dipolog, Dapit sa Dapitan”.
Zamboanga del Norte, apart from being the top destination and tourist-ready destination in Region 9, its proximities to the neighboring islands of Visayas and Cagayan de Oro and other Mindanao regions is an ideal frontier to showcase the culture, heritage, and arts of the Province of Zamboanga del Norte.
The influences of the Visayans particularly the Boholanos to the culture of Dapitan and Dipolog have greatly influenced the way people offer the warmth of their hospitality like no other, the cultural assets of the Subanen, the first settlers of the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan have remained a strong manifestation of the rich tradition they have and the arts of both the ancestors and “conquistadores” such as weaving, Spanish sardines-making, and modern contemporary arts and music. Thus, Lakbay-Lahi showcase in the Province of Zamboanga del Norte is a must-see for all.
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