Being fed suman (a kind of rice cake) four times a day for three days and being greeted by loud drums in every town visited may not be one’s idea of a vacation. However, on the Suroy Suroy Sugbo, which means “city tour” in Cebuano, one may find these things welcoming and even comforting when accompanied by the warm smiles and vibrant costumes of the locals.

On the Suroy Suroy Sugbo, a provincial tour of Cebu covering either the north of Cebu, held on the second week of May; or the south of Cebu, held some time in January, tourists are ushered into a cultural experience with dances conveying the life of the fisher folk and the farmers, or the courage of the island chieftains upon the arrival of the Spaniards. Spanning three days and three nights, it aims to showcase the uniqueness of the Filipino and Cebuano culture by selling local handicrafts, such as jewelry, handbags, and house wares, and serving visitors an abundance of local delicacies, such as ripe mangoes, green corn, lechon (roast pig), seafood, and various kinds of rice cake.

“Compared to other tours, the Suroy Suroy Sugbo is really different because when you stop in each town the whole town comes out to greet you. The town officials (the mayors and other incumbents) really go out of their way to prepare the food and the festival,” says Cebu City Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
The provincial government of Cebu subsidizes the tour, which covers accommodations, food, and transportation. As a provincial government project, the tour is being handled by the Garbo sa Sugbo Foundation, a spin off of the Tourism and Heritage Council that Garcia created within the first 100 days of her term.
“We try to create a fiesta atmosphere in each town. The tour is about taking the road less traveled for people to discover how much more charm and interesting things there are for them to see in the Philippines and in Cebu. A common denominator of the tour in each town is the showcasing of their local culture. They also showcase their handicrafts. I want to encourage the locals to develop handicrafts that will help them to earn their livelihood,” explains Garcia.
While museums are a rare sight to see on the northern trail, there are, nevertheless, numerous product displays and demonstrations, including the gun-making demonstration in Danao, an abaca-weaving demonstration in Carmen, and an artifacts exhibit in Bantayan Island in the Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Church (the oldest parish in the Visayas and Mindanao).

The southern trail is better known for its heritage sites, including the Liloan lighthouse, a historical marker that stands 72 feet over the northeast entrance of Cebu, and is an example of early 20th century American architecture.

Although the tour is still a work in progress, Garcia believes in its potential. “As it is, I think the Suroy Suroy Sugbo would really appeal to foreigners because they can’t find this elsewhere. That is precisely why I always focus on the preservation of our culture, because our culture is what makes us unique. It is our soul. You can find a beach everywhere in the world and one beach is better than another. But what will attract the tourists, is the culture, the uniqueness of a people,” she says.

The provincial government hopes to develop the Suroy Suroy Sugbo as part of their long-term development plan to encourage tourists and investors to visit and invest in Cebu. “This really is an all-out effort that cannot just be done by one sector. (So) we’re also asking for help from (everyone),” says Garcia.