Good evening to one and all.

It is with great pleasure for Albayanos to welcome and host Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco as she embarks starting tomorrow on an extensive tour of the veritable tourism attractions and destinations in Albay.

At the forefront is the iconic and majestically incomparable Mayon which straddles many parts of Albay. Except for a few violent eruptions, the tantrums of the Mayon Volcano, just like a Bicolano, are tempered even in their fury.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally request the Honorable Secretary to lead a renewed campaign for the declaration of Mayon Volcano as a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Not known to many, the Mayon Volcano is still in the tentative list for Unesco World Heritage sites long after other volcanoes have been declared as such like, among others, Yellowstone in Wyoming, USA; Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Big Island Hawaii; Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania; and the Archaeological Areas of Pompei and Ercolano in Campania in Italy, where Mount Vesuvius erupted.

It must be noted that the tourism revenues total 6.2% or of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. It is certain that the Secretary’s visit will spur the tourism industry in Albay.

Thank you for your visit, Secretary Frasco, and we are certain your visit will be both memorable and productive.