Koronadal City—Kasadya village will rise at the parking area of the South Cotabato Gymnasium and Cultural Center as part of the weeklong tourism week celebration in South Cotabato this September.
Argie Asaria, Tourism Operations Officer, said the village features local food, drinks, products, and crafts of emerging entrepreneurs in the province.
“We wanted to bring local artisans of different towns in one area and help them promote their products,” Asaria said during the weekly news forum Kapihan sa Kapitolyo, Wednesday.
Kasadya means happy in Hiligaynon. Asaria discussed that a village is a happy place where happy people of South Cotabato converge.
“We plan to establish a weekend night market in Koronadal which offers a wide array of local products from our local small entrepreneurs and farmers,” Asaria pointed out.
The Kasadya Village is composed of four mini stops that allow the people to choose local experiences.
Habhaban and Chikahan is inspired by street food around the province. It is an alley where there is a new take on the all-you-can-eat and drinks experience. Small servings of local-inspired dishes are offered at affordable prices while having fun and chickahan.
Bugal Lokal, on the other hand, is a place where visitors can purchase local souvenir items and other local products handcrafted by local artisans.
Another stop is Artistas Kuridas. It is a creative space showcasing the skills of local artists like tattoo artists and sketch artists, selling their products.
Palagwa-on is a venue for a series of lecture, demonstration, and performances for interested participants to watch, listen and learn.
“Tourists now are more adventurous. They are willing to pay local experiences,” Asaria said.
He said the food is a vital factor in promoting tourism and contributing to the local economy and development while experiential tourism is the latest trend.
Curated experiences in travel exhibit local life. It takes tourists to walk in the shoes of locals by eating the same food and visiting places off the beaten path, Asaria said.
“Culture and agriculture are the major tourism offerings of South Cotabato.” Asaria added.
