“The Department welcomes this development as it not only indicates that we are well on our way to recovery, but is also a testament to the all the work and sacrifices we have made to reach this point,” Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said.
TOURISM destinations throughout the country can count on another P6.4 billion in fresh national government funding to further develop their access roads, Quezon City Rep. Marvin Rillo, vice chairperson of the House committee on tourism, said on Sunday.
“We have the sum of P6.4 billion for the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program (TRIP) in the 2025 national budget,” Rillo, also a member of the House committee on appropriations, said in a statement.
“Congress is determined to provide all regions across the country ample support to upgrade their access roads and bridges leading to their tourism sites,” Rillo said.
“This is pursuant to the mandate of the Constitution for all sectors of the economy, including tourism, and all regions of the country, to be given the optimum opportunity to develop,” Rillo added.
The P6.4 billion for the TRIP in 2025 is on top of the P15.2 billion allocation for the program in the 2024 General Appropriations Law, according to Rillo.
Rillo explained how the TRIP projects immediately benefit local communities.
“The infrastructure projects create construction-related jobs that readily benefit low-income families,” Rillo pointed out.
“More importantly, the improved road access will boost tourist passage, thus spurring new jobs in accommodation, transport, food and beverage services, entertainment, and other activities,” Rillo said.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) jointly identify the TRIP projects are not yet covered by other funding sources.
Foreign tourist arrivals up 11.5%
A total of 3,276,731 foreign tourists arrived in the Philippines from January to July 2024, up by 338,014 (or 11.5 percent) from the 2,938,717 that landed in the country in the same seven-month period in 2023, according to the DOT.
The top 10 foreign visitor arrivals from January to July by nationality were South Korean (932,632); American (580,338); Chinese (219,743); Japanese (213,864); Australian (150,065); Taiwanese (136,334); Canadian (130,232); British (97,358); Singaporean (90,460); and Malaysian (57,153).
