Subic Bay Freeport – Tourist arrivals in this premier Freeport recorded 408,800 during the Holy Week Celebration, according to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).
The SBMA Tourism Department gladly shared that this figure exceeded last year’s 367,228 visitors by 54,384, roughly an increase of 14.8 percent.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said that the data has significantly contributed to the hotel occupancy rate, which has remained at 99 percent.
San Roque Chapel, one of the oldest chapels in the country, has become a favorite crowd-drawer for devout Catholics who visit frequently during the Holy Week as it drew an estimated crowd of 10,350.
“San Roque Chapel has been a quiet refuge for devout Catholics who spend their vacations here. We are glad that Catholic traditions are religiously conducted there such as processions, the pabasa, and Salubong,” Aliño mused.
The recorded numbers in tourist arrivals surpassed last year’s figure of Catholic devotees who flocked the chapel during Holy Week by 5,538, with 2024’s number recorded at 4,812.
SBMA Tourism Department manager Mary Jamelle Camba said that the presence of the Food Fest this year contributed largely to the surge of visitors at the Boardwalk area.
“The Food Fest offered better activities, food options, and entertainment. These changes in crowd count may suggest that visitors had different preferences for their activities during the week,” Camba shared.
Data gathered from all Information Centers revealed a decrease in the “total number of inquiries and estimated total number of crowd”. Results yielded from these reports may have been positively affected by the effectiveness of either digital access to information or improved area navigation, since only 97 inquiries this year were recorded compared to last year’s 108 inquiries.
Vehicular accidents also decreased, with only three incidents this year compared to last year’s four. Meanwhile, ambulance runs increased by five due to the high heat index. (Malou Dungog)
