CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Local tourists experienced Fernandino rich culture and heritage as the City Government of San Fernando staged an ‘Heritage Open House and Free Kalesa Tour’ over the weekend.
The annual activity was made possible through the efforts of the CSFP Arts and Culture Council in line with the celebration of National Heritage Month with a theme “Mga Pinuno para sa Pamana.”
According to Bernadette Tapnio, Head of Heritage and Cultural Affairs Section, the local government lined-up several activities for this year’s celebration in an aim to promote and strengthen the capital city’s culture, traditions, and heritage.
She furthered that this year, 4 of the city’s heritage houses were opened for public visit, these include Augusto-Hizon House, Baron-Cuyugan House, Dayrit-Cuyugan House, and Nicolasa Dayrit.
“For this year, nilagyan natin ng component, for open house tour mga participant natin is register muna dito sa Train station, and then afterwards, sasakay sila ng kalesa going to four heritage houses,” Tapnio said in an interview.
Meanwhile, Gina Casapao, local tourists from Antipolo City shared her tour-experience and felt awestruck on how magnificent the ancestral houses and places in the city.
“Isa sa mga napakaganda experience namin, dun sa amin kasi bihira na lang po yung mga heritage houses na napupuntahan namin. Nai-preserve talaga yung mga bahay at hindi po matatawaran na experience ito para sa amin lalo na poang pagsakay sa mga kalesa,” she said.
It can be recalled that the City of San Fernando conducted a seminar and workshop to all calesa drivers or “kutseros” to tap them as tourism frontliners as part of their advocacy in promoting and preserving the city’s rich culture, tradition, and heritage and sustaining the city’s brand as “Tourism Hub” in the country.