‘Tayo na sa Antipolo’

For decades, millions of Filipinos have been flocking to scenic Antipolo especially during the pilgrimage season, from the first Tuesday of May to the first Tuesday of July, to pay respect to the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage at the Antipolo Cathedral and also to take side trips to some of the well-known spots there.

But if the City Government of Antipolo can have its way, soon foreign tourists and investors would start flocking to this city too.

According to Antipolo City Mayor Angelito C. Gatlabayan they are now working together with renowned urban planners Palafox and Associates to develop Antipolo into a world-class city.

“We are currently in the process of transforming a 76-hectare property into an eco-park that will be a tourist attraction and the center of government,” Gatlabayan said.

“The eco-park is part of the City’s comprehensive development plan. We have also launched tourism initiatives, all aimed at luring not just local but foreign investors and tourists,” he added.

“We have already undertaken the restoration of the Hinulugang Taktak falls, the renovation of Boso-Boso Church, a 16th century church located at Antipolo’s old township, and the promotion of the yearly SUMAKAH (Suman, Mangga, Kasuy, Hamaka) Festival.”

“We are also proud of the fact that we now have the Meralco Management and Leadership Development Center (MMLDC), a world-class convention center where companies can hold their conferences, training and seminars,” he said.

Gatlabayan makes it a point to show off MMLDC to local and foreign visitors. The City Government also holds most of its planning sessions there.

MMLDC is one of the newest destinations in Antipolo. It is a corporate training facility that offers technical and engineering-related programs, safety seminars, team building, as well as environment and waste management.

MMLDC is a duly accredited non-profit education institution by the Philippine Council for NGO Certification or PCNC. It is an ISO 9001:2000 certified center which ranks it among the world’s best in terms of achieving worldwide standards of quality.

The campus and its facilities were designed to make the MMLDC environment as conducive as possible to learning and excellence. Hotel-style accommodations and tranquil surroundings create an invigorating energy as well as soothe and nourish the spirits of course participants.

The Antipolo City Government and Tourism Council, together with the Antipolo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has also published the Antipolo City Tour Guide, a city map that features a brief history and facts about the city, a man and a list of destinations.

The Antipolo Tour Guide gives visitors a quick and easy reference for an enjoyable tour of the city. It features long-established destinations as well as newer destinations within the city. Other destinations in Antipolo are the Assumption PACEM Mini Zoo and Butterfly Garden, the mystical caves, the Pinto Gallery, and the various resorts surrounding the city.

The City has also been included in three new day tour packages designed by the Southern Tagalog Tourism Council. The tour packages are aimed at promoting the Southern Tagalog region as a tourist destination.

Mayor Gatlabayan hopes that through these efforts Antipolo will become one of the best-known tourist destinations and investment spots in the country.

[ Hinulugang Taktak Falls Wiki ]