LEGAZPI CITY -- Preparations are all in place for the re-launching of Magayon Festival 2008, a month-long revelry that would place back Albay province in the tourism road map, the provincial government of Albay announced the other day.

        Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda at the festival’s soft launching and press conference said the month-long Magayon (beautiful) Festival set on April 1 to 30 would bring back the “Glory of Albay” into the tourism map after suffering tremendous drawback brought by two super typhoons that hit the province in 2006.

        With this year’s theme: “Albay Rising”, the month-long revelry would showcase jam-packed events ranging from culture and arts, education, trade and industry, socials, sports and special events, Salceda said.

        Salceda said the provincial government has set aside P10 million to be used as operating fund by various working committees that will roll off the various festival events lined up. “This initial amount will be on top of the money sourced from major festival sponsors,” he added.

        Nini Ravanilla, Department of Tourism (DOT) regional director, said during the re-launching that the Albay Magayon Festival would again put the province as a major tourism hub in Bicol.

        Ravanilla was hopeful that with Magayon Festival, Albay province with an effective marketing strategy would be able to attract national and foreign tourists, and “hit the 200,000-mark tourist arrival this year,” she said.

        She said despite the devastation wrought by two super typhoons in 2006, Albay’s tourism industry slowly started to recover in 2007 with the posting of 127,000 tourist arrivals, which is equivalent to some P84 million in tourism revenues in the province alone.

        “If the trend continues, Albay might hit the 200,000-tourist arrival target this year. This may be equivalent to P150 million in revenues, and the major factor would be the Magayon Festival,” she explained.

        At the festival media presentation, the Executive Committee headed by Salceda lined up some 65 events which include among others: For culture and the arts: Art exhibits, Bicol songwriting contest, chorale competitions; For Education: Academic olympics, school fairs, and International Youth Congress on Climate Change.

        For Trade and Industry: Magayon Culinaria, job fairs, trade exhibits, “tiangge”, garden show and livelihood fair; For Socials: Children’s day, Senior Citizens’ day, Educators’ Night (Search for Most Outstanding Teachers).

        For Sports: Bike, drag, BMX competitions, walk and run for climate change, chess tournaments, boxing, Aikido, cockfighting and table tennis.

        Other event highlights are: Search for Mutya ng Magayon, Street Dancing, Magayon Day, Mr. Magayon, Mr. and Ms. Bikini Summit, Kasalon Magayon, Rocklakan Magayon (beer plaza/concert), and sibidan race.