MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The Department of Tourism (DOT) expressed its gratitude to lawmakers on Friday (September 3) for the swift proceedings of the House Appropriations Committee on its proposed Php 3.79 billion budget for the fiscal year 2022.
Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, who attended the hearing to discuss in detail the basis of the DOT’s proposed budget, expressed her appreciation for the lawmakers who acknowledged the Department’s hard work throughout the pandemic, and threw their support behind the advocacy for budget augmentation, particularly for Intramuros Administration (IA) and the National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC).
“The help of Congress for the industry cannot be overemphasized as we always look up to both houses of Congress for support to our budget, policies, programs, and opportunities to further develop our sector,” Puyat said during the budget deliberations held at the House of Representatives in Batasan, Quezon City.
Once approved at the committee level, the DOT budget will go through the usual legislative mill along with the budgets of other departments—the House plenary, the Senate, the conference committee of both Houses, and finally through Malacañang for the President’s signature and final enactment of the General Appropriations Act of 2022.
Puyat in particular thanked Rizal 1st District Rep. Michael John Duavit, Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee, for presiding and maintaining a swift and smooth hearing.
During the budget deliberation, Laguna 3rd District Rep. Marisol “Sol” Aragones-Sampello, chair of the House Committee of Tourism, lauded Puyat’s enthusiasm in visiting tourism destinations to uplift local stakeholders despite the COVID-19 threat.
“Malaking bagay iyan sa amin. Kahit mahirap sumagwan kayo, kahit mahirap tumayo kayo, kahit mahirap umikot kayo. Alam natin na magiging handa ang DOT at ang taong bayan sa tatawagin nating New Normal,” Aragones-Sampello said.
Baguio City Rep. Marquez “Mark” Ocampo Go shared the same positive sentiment about the DOT, highlighting that the proposed Php3.7B budget of the Department should be increased in the light of the industry’s significant contribution to the Philippine economy.
“Dahil sa malaking kontribusyon ng turismo, sa palagay ko kailangan dagdagan ‘yan,” Go said.
Lanao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo seconded Go’s proposal, pointing out that additional appropriations for the DOT will bolster economic activities especially in the rural areas, and could attract those who have left the communities to return.
Prior to the pandemic, the tourism industry contributed a notable Php 2.51 trillion or close to 13 percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product. This dropped to just Php 973.31 billion in 2020 at the height of the health crisis.
Virus impact and DOT’s efforts
Based on the recent World Tourism Barometer report of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) issued in May 2021, the global travel industry suffered a decline of 72.9 percent in international visitor arrivals in 2020. The Philippines registered a much steeper 82 percent slide from 8.26 million tourist arrivals in 2019 to just 1.48 million in 2020.
“Despite the challenges and limitations in 2020 and 2021, the DOT has been relentless in its efforts to keep the tourism industry afloat while laying the groundwork for the industry’s recovery,” Puyat stressed.
She said the Department focused heavily on providing immediate response to those displaced by the pandemic.
As of August 26, the DOT has conducted 352 trainings for industry stakeholders with a total of 19,871 participants.
“During the industry’s downtime, we were able to reskill, upskill and retool the tourism stakeholders with the health and safety protocols and operations under a new normal environment,” she explained.
Further, 44 new tourism circuits in addition to 71 that are still undergoing development to date were established by the Department.
“The DOT will continue to stay attuned to the ever-changing tourism trends and preferences of our domestic and foreign markets through continued product and market research. And as international borders start to open, the key, strategic and opportunity markets will continue to be engaged and green lanes explored in preparation for revenge travel that is expected to ensue,” she added.
Policy direction
For 2022, the Department aims to further its objective of ensuring the sustainability, resiliency, and inclusiveness of the tourism industry, Puyat said.
The reformulated National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) for 2016 to 2022 a three-pronged thrust: promote safe, fun, and competitive tourism; pursue sustainable, inclusive, and resilient tourism; and strengthen governance and destination management.
In addition to the reformulated NTDP, the DOT likewise updated the Tourism Response And Recovery Plan with the main objective of mitigating the impacts of covid-19 on the tourism industry. The plan is anchored on (1.) Ensuring the protection of jobs and safety of tourism workers, visitors, and communities; (2.) Supporting the recovery of tourism enterprises; and (3.) Rebuilding confidence and growing demand in domestic and foreign markets
“Under the Tourism Standards and Enforcement Program, we shall continue to improve service standards, and restore confidence to travel, develop and enforce tourism standards that are at par with global best practices,” she added.
