Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 16) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved a national plan for 2023 to 2028 that seeks to position the Philippines as a “tourism powerhouse,” according to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco.
During a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Frasco said the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) would serve “as the blueprint and development framework for the tourism industry for the duration of the Marcos administration.”
The objectives of the plan, she stressed, would give the Philippines “a fighting chance at becoming a tourism powerhouse.”
She added that the NTDP would serve as a guide for the regional development of the tourism industry.
Frasco said the program will not only focus on promoting the Philippines but would also address issues in the sector, including infrastructure, connectivity, digitalization, and strengthening tourism governance.
For his part, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan Uy said his department would back the program by boosting connectivity across the country.
He said Frasco provided an initial list of 94 priority tourism areas that would be covered by free internet access, which includes Baguio, Palawan, Boracay, and Cebu.
Uy said the free internet connectivity service will cover the priority places by the end of 2023.
The DICT chief also said that it is working with other government agencies for the rollout of an e-visa system.
“DICT is also addressing some administrative blocks that can occur with respect to pushing our tourism agenda, one of which is visa issuance,” he said.
“We will be working with those entities, private sector partners who have proven capacity in handling that and integrate that in our e-travel,” Uy added.
