by Flor Jackson

Tacloban City (30 April) -- The 2009 Palarong Pambansa is an opportune time to showcase what is best in Leyte, Tacloban City and in Eastern Visayas as a whole.

In big events like the Palarong Pambansa where guests, visitors, officials and the athletes from all over the country are gathered in the host province – this is the best time to promote even more the tourist attractions, products made through the creativity of the Taclobanons, Leytenos and other attractions the city and the province have.

According to Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Teodorico Sangil, Jr. during a press conference with Secretary Jeslie Lapuz yesterday (April 28) at the Leyte Park Hotel and the members of the media covering the big event, he hopes the Palarong Pambansa will pave the way for guests and visitors to discover what is in Leyte and in Tacloban City.

There are 17 delegations from the different regional athletic associations all over the country who will vie in the different athletic games in this year’s Palarong Pambansa.

Arts and crafts, delicacies and other specialties from Leyte are on display and for sale at the vicinity of the new Tacloban City Sports Development Center.

Likewise, woodcrafts, marble crafts, fashion accessories made of indigenous materials and other products from other regions of the country are made available for sale to all who have a passion for these things.

Scheduled tours for the athletic delegations have been arranged by the Department of Tourism Regional Office No. 8 through Director Karina Rosa S. Tiopes in coordination with some travel agencies in Leyte for the visitors to experience the beauty and wonders of the tourist attractions here in the province, which are done on schedule.

Foremost that Leyte can offer to the visitors as the host province of the 2009 Palarong Pambansa is the warm hospitality of the Leytenos.

"I like the hospitality of the people of Leyte, they are very friendly", Secretary Lapuz said during the press conference.

The hospitality of the people will bring more benefits to the province – though not immediate, but for sure the benefit will come," he added.

The 17 billeting areas for the 2009 Palarong Pambansa delegations involve three Leyte towns namely Dulag, Tanauan and Palo and the city of Tacloban with one of its barangays which is San Jose.

Secretary Lapuz expressed hope that the media coverage of the Palarong Pambansa 2009 will highlight the province of Leyte and the city of Tacloban in the national scene.