Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 29) — The Department of Tourism (DOT) said it has launched a program that encourages local government units (LGU) to participate in the improvement of the industry’s infrastructure to promote unknown travel destinations.
Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source on Thursday, Tourism Sec. Christina Frasco said the department launched the “Tourism Champions Challenge to encourage country-wide development on tourism infrastructure.”
“This is in collaboration with our infrastructure arm TIEZA [Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority] wherein we are giving opportunities to mayors from our over a hundred cities and over 1,400 municipalities to submit tourism infrastructure proposals,” she said.
She said program has a budget of ₱180 million to provide financial grants to LGUs which will present their proposals and go through a vetting process.
Frasco said this is in line with the National Tourism Development Plan that prioritizes tourism infrastructure.
By the end of this program, Frasco said the department hopes to see the development of grassroots tourism infrastructure.
She said the department is also working with the Department of Public Works and Highways for the construction of roads connecting destinations.
On other efforts to improve travel experience, Frasco said the DOT also worked with the Department of Transportation for enhancements at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2. The government has also begun training airport frontline personnel on the Filipino brand of service, she added.
DOT also collaborated with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to improve internet connection in 94 tourism destinations across the country, she said.
The tourism department recently launched its new “Love the Philippines” campaign, replacing the \”It’s More Fun In the Philippines\” launched in 2012.
According to Frasco, this is the Philippines’ “love letter to the world” to give them an “opportunity to have the full picture of the length and breadth of the story of the Filipino.”
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