
Strengthening evidence-based tourism policies and initiatives in Cebu Province, the Cebu Normal University (CNU) Tourism Management Department (TMD) and the Cebu Provincial Tourism Office (CPTO) formalized their partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on October 7.
Held at the Marcelo Fernan Hall, the agreement will establish a collaborative partnership in creating a Master Plan for the tourism industry in Cebu Province that is research-based, data-driven, and aligned with sustainable and inclusive tourism development goals.
CNU, for its part, will contribute academic expertise, research support, data gathering, validation, and capacity-building activities. Moreover, the collaboration covers tourism resource inventory, baseline studies, data analysis, and tourism planning outputs, among others.

Provincial Tourism Officer Rowena Lu Montecillo, in her acceptance message, underscored the importance of collaboration in creating a roadmap that promotes economic growth, community empowerment, cultural preservation, and environmental sustainability.
“We are confident that this collaboration will strengthen research-driven planning and help us address both present needs and future opportunities for Cebu tourism,” she said.
“The Cebu Provincial Tourism Office warmly accepts this partnership and reaffirms its commitment to provide leadership, coordination, and support throughout the development of the Tourism Development Plan,” she added.

Moreover, CNU President Dr. Laurence Garcia, for his part, expressed his gratitude to CPTO for choosing CNU to be part of the project. This is because CNU is not only an educational institution but also a heritage site.
“This is very much timely, and CNU is grateful for this undertaking, part of that is knowing that CNU is not only a contributor for this but an important tourism resource in this area,” he said.
Noting that CNU has its own heritage site, Dr. Garcia expressed support to Cebu Province, emphasizing that “the real direction of the university is not only to situate CNU as an educational hub but as a heritage hub in the province,” he added.
Present during the MOU signing were Assistant Provincial Tourism Officer John Roland Tabunag, along with the Director of Extension Services Office, Dr. Rivika Alda, and College of Sciences Extension Chair Dr. Jeneveb Malusay.
Also present were Project Team Leader Dr. Clareziel Ladringan, Asst. Project Team Leader Dr. Ruby Melchor, and members Bharbie Paballa and Atty. Christian Cosido.
Padayon, CNU!
