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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider One Visayas tourism circuits open new gateway for travelers

One Visayas tourism circuits open new gateway for travelers

Published Sep 6, 2025 03:52 pm

At A Glance

  • DOT launches One Visayas Tourism Circuits connecting Western, Central, Eastern Visayas and Negros Island Region (NIR).
  • Three flagship routes: UNESCO Heritage and Gastronomy Trails, Diving Expeditions, Heritage Trails and Cultural Discoveries.
  • Initiative to boost heritage, gastronomy, dive tourism and strengthen regional cooperation.
  • Iloilo positioned as key gateway with support from Cebu Pacific's expanded flights.
  • Eastern Visayas preparing UNESCO nomination for Samar Island Natural Park.
Department of Tourism (DOT) officials and regional tourism officers join the launch of the One Visayas Tourism Circuits on September 6, 2025, at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The initiative showcases heritage, gastronomy, and dive tourism across Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas, including the Negros Island Region (NIR), introducing three flagship routes to promote sustainable travel and strengthen regional cooperation. (Photo courtesy of Trixee Rosel/MB)
Department of Tourism (DOT) officials and regional tourism officers join the launch of the One Visayas Tourism Circuits on September 6, 2025, at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The initiative showcases heritage, gastronomy, and dive tourism across Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas, including the Negros Island Region (NIR), introducing three flagship routes to promote sustainable travel and strengthen regional cooperation. (Photo courtesy of Trixee Rosel/MB)
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Friday, Sept. 6, launched the One Visayas Tourism Circuits which links Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas with the Negros Island Region (NIR) to showcase heritage, gastronomy, and dive tourism.
Regional DOT offices worked with accredited tour operators through consultations, site visits, and mock tours to develop sustainable packages highlighting the strengths of each destination.
DOT Region 8 Director Karina Rosa Tiopes, who initiated the push for her counterparts to collaborate, said the initiative was “years in the making but worth the effort.”
The circuits feature three flagship routes: the UNESCO Heritage and Gastronomy Trails, Diving Expeditions, and Heritage Trails and Cultural Discoveries.
The UNESCO Heritage and Gastronomy Trails connect Bacolod (Negros) and Iloilo (Western Visayas), Tacloban and Samar (Eastern Visayas), and Cebu and Bohol (Central Visayas), pairing centuries-old churches and ancestral homes with traditional cuisine.
The Diving Expeditions circuit highlights Iloilo and Antique (Western Visayas), Bohol (Central Visayas), and Southern Leyte and Limasawa Island (Eastern Visayas), offering whale-shark encounters, wall dives, and coral gardens.
Tiopes described Sogod Bay as “a rising dive destination in the Philippines.”
The Heritage Trails and Cultural Discoveries showcase Cebu (Central Visayas), Dumaguete and Valencia (NIR), Iloilo-Capiz-Guimaras (Western Visayas), and Tacloban (Eastern Visayas), featuring festivals, local crafts, and living traditions.
Eastern Visayas is also preparing the nomination of Samar Island Natural Park for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Tiopes said the official dossier, or set of documents supporting the nomination, is ready for submission, citing the park’s biodiversity and its distinction as one of the country’s largest lowland evergreen tropical rainforests.
The DOT added that culinary initiatives such as Samar’s “secret kitchens,” which pair family stories with traditional recipes, underscore the cultural depth of Eastern Visayan food heritage.
The agency said the tourism circuits are expected to bolster sustainable travel, strengthen regional cooperation, and position Iloilo as a key gateway to Visayan destinations, supported by Cebu Pacific’s expansion of flights linking the city with Tacloban, Zamboanga, Daraga, Dumaguete, and Bohol.
“These are just the initial circuits developed for this year, and more will be added as we continue to enhance and ready our attractions and destinations,” Tiopes said.

Related Tags

DOT One Visayas Tourism Circuits Visayas travel
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