By Rachel Magday
NUEVA VIZCAYA, Philippines — The province of Nueva Vizcaya strengthened its standing as one of the country’s rising tourism destinations after clinching the Grand Winner award for Best Tourism Promotions Brochure at the 2026 Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards.
The province also secured the second runner-up award for Best Event Hosting (Local) and was named a finalist in the category of Best Institutionalized Program for Culture and the Arts, underscoring its expanding tourism and cultural-development initiatives.
The awards recognized the sustained efforts of the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Tourism and Culture Office (PTCO), led by Marichelle O. Costales, and the tourism development agenda of Gov. Jose V. Gambito’s administration.
The awards recognized the sustained efforts of the Nueva Vizcaya Provincial Tourism and Culture Office (PTCO), led by Marichelle O. Costales, and the tourism development agenda of Gov. Jose V. Gambito’s administration.
Costales received the honors on behalf of Nueva Vizcaya during the ATOP Pearl Awards’ grand awards night on Oct. 21 in Ormoc City, Leyte, held as part of the association’s national convention from Oct. 20 to 22.
The ATOP Pearl Awards trophies were designed by internationally acclaimed Cebuano furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue, whose works are known for combining indigenous Filipino craftsmanship, natural materials and contemporary design.
Nueva Vizcaya’s winning tourism brochure stood out among entries from local government units across the country for its effective presentation of the province’s destinations, cultural heritage, local products and community-based experiences.
The province’s strong showing reflected the Gambito administration’s innovative tourism agenda, which positions Nueva Vizcaya as a destination for both culture and adventure. Alongside its eco-tourism, heritage and agri-tourism attractions, the province is being developed as the country’s paragliding capital and a premier adventure hub—opening new livelihood opportunities for communities and local enterprises.
The 2026 ATOP Pearl Awards gathered 606 entries from local government units nationwide. Of these, 201 were selected as national finalists across 15 competitive categories.
Entries were assessed using the R.E.S.T. framework, which considers resilience, environment, sustainability and tourism standards.
“This recognition is more than an award for Nueva Vizcaya’s tourism brochure and programs. It is an affirmation of our continuing commitment to bring the beauty, culture, heritage and people of our province to the national spotlight,” Gambito said.
“We will continue to pursue sustainable and inclusive tourism that creates opportunities for our communities, protects our environment and gives every Vizcayano a greater reason to be proud of our province,” he added.
