The City of San Juan was named the grand winner for Best Tourism-Oriented Local Government Unit (LGU) in the highly urbanized city category, securing the top honor at the 26th Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP) Pearl Awards held Thursday in Baguio City.

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora — who is also the president of the Metro Manila Council — accepted the award alongside with his staff from the city’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs Department.

In his acceptance speech, Zamora humbly invited his fellow tourism officers to visit San Juan to experience its hospitality and historical trail.

He also congratulated all the winners, saying he was proud to see tourism officers “working hand in hand to promote Philippine tourism and highlight the unique beauty and strength of each local government unit.”

San Juan City’s recognition led a strong showing by the capital region.

The city also brought home trophies for Best Tourism Video (2nd Runner Up) and Best Practices on Sustainable Tourism (1st Runner Up).

Other local government units in Metro Manila also won major awards as Las Piñas City won the Grand Winner for Best Tourism Promotion Video, while Muntinlupa City was the Grand Winner for Best Institutionalized Culture and Arts Program. Pasig City secured the Grand Winner for Best Practices on Sustainable Tourism.

Meantime, Quezon City was recognized with a Hall of Fame award for Best Event Hosting: International Event, and also won the Grand Winner for that category as well as for Best Tourism Event: Religious Festival.

The annual ATOP Pearl Awards recognize the practices, innovations and initiatives of LGUs that contribute significantly to the promotion and development of Philippine tourism.

The 26th edition highlighted the resilience and creativity of the country’s local tourism sector, with Metro Manila and the National Capital Region shining brightly as hubs of excellence.