La Consolacion College Bacolod’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) opened Pasyar Negros 2025: Bacolod Travel Expo on Thursday at Ayala Malls Capitol Central, highlighting its growing role as a bridge between the tourism industry, the traveling public, and the next generation of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) professionals.
The event, the first travel expo of its kind in Bacolod, brought together major industry players, including tour operators, resorts, travel agencies, airlines, and local entrepreneurs—providing a rare platform for collaboration that directly supports the tourism sector’s recovery and expansion in the Negros Island Region.
SHTM administrators and faculty led by Dr. Christian Angelo B. Iturriaga, Dean; Ms. Florence Joy Soriano, Program Head of the Bachelor of Science in Tourism Management; Ms. Joanne Ricablanca, faculty adviser; and Dr. Lilia Militar, Program Head of the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management, emphasized that the expo functions not only as a public tourism showcase but also as a real-world laboratory for students specializing in MICE and event management.
“The expo mirrors the actual dynamics of the tourism industry,” the administrators noted, underscoring its value in developing professional competencies such as project planning, client relations, logistics coordination, and event production—skills essential in the growing MICE sector.
Tourism officials who graced the opening—Dr. Jen Cordero of DOT Region VI, Raymund Alunan of the Negros Occidental Tourism Division, Ma. Teresa Manalili of the Bacolod City Tourism Office, and Ariel Guides of the City Mayor’s Office—recognized the initiative as a strong contribution to public tourism awareness and local economic activity.
According to the event’s concept paper, Pasyar Negros 2025 was designed to promote travel opportunities, strengthen regional partnerships, and support the national “Love the Philippines” campaign by highlighting authentic, culturally rooted travel experiences.
For the public, the expo offers exclusive travel deals, destination information, cultural performances, and interactive activities such as the PASYAR passport-stamp challenge. For students, it provides a high-impact practicum environment where theoretical coursework meets professional application.
Organized by Astra Events Co., a team of BSTM students, the expo was endorsed by Ms. Soriano and Dr. Iturriaga and approved by School President Sr. Flolyn S. Catungal, OSA.
Pasyar Negros 2025: Bacolod Travel Expo runs until December 12 and remains open to the public at the Ayala Capitol Central Activity Center, offering two days of networking, cultural showcases, and industry engagement.