PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday emphasized the pivotal role of tourism as he bared his directions for the industry during the early part of his first State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Citing his plans for the country’s tourism in the first few minutes of his SONA, just right after expounding on the economy and agriculture, the President expressed optimism for the sector noting that “Tourism is not only an important economic development tool but the abundance of opportunities that the sector creates in terms of regular employment and even job creation at the grassroots level is undeniable.”
Basic improvements to roads, airports
To boost the country’s tourism industry, Marcos has directed the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to jointly implement a program that would introduce basic infrastructure developments that will increase the convenience of travelers when going around the Philippines.
“To boost our tourism industry, we will first and foremost make basic developments such as road improvements for easier access to tourism spots. We will also upgrade our airports and create more international airports to help decongest the bottleneck at the Manila International Airport,” President Marcos said.
These improvements, the President said, will be brought to remote areas to help promote undiscovered tourist spots in the country.
Enhanced ‘Filipino’ brand in tourism
In terms of promoting the country’s tourism, President Marcos expressed the need to bank on an enhanced Filipino brand.
“They say, each brand has a story. As for the Filipino brand, ours is deeply rooted in our rich cultural heritage and the tourism sector plays an invaluable role in the promotion of the Filipino brand,” President Marcos Jr. said as he opened his address on tourism.
“To foster the Filipino brand is to spark our sense of pride and reaffirm our strong sense of identity. It is time to welcome the rest of the world with an enhanced Filipino brand that is unique, attractive, and creative,” he explained.
