IN a bid to boost the tourism sector and help it regain growth, several lawmakers are open to increasing the budget of the Department of Tourism.

In budget deliberations at the House of Representatives, Tourism Sec. Christina Garcia-Frasco presented the P3.2 billion proposed budget of DOT, much lower than its original budget submitted which is P12.2 billion.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan said the P3.2 billion is not enough for the DOT to regain its competitive edge and to bring back the economic losses.

The tourism sector is one of the groups adversely affected by the pandemic as hotels, tourist spots, beaches and parks were forced to close during lockdowns.

According to Frasco, the DoT has submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) a budget proposal of P12.2 billion however, only P3.2 billion was granted.

“I think we need to increase the budget because our country needs to recover. The DOT has a clear plan. Our country can recover economically if the agency is well-funded,” Libanan said.

Frasco said the contribution of the tourism industry to the economy is about 12.9 percent.

However, the budget of DOT accounts for 0.63 percent of the entire national budget.

The proposed 2023 national budget is pegged at P5.268 trillion.

In the budget proposal of the agency, there are no allocations for tourism infrastructure development and infrastructure repair and rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, Frasco ordered the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza) to closely coordinate with the department and work diligently despite the limited budget.

“From our end it’s a matter of prioritization, considering the availability or nonavailability of budget for that matter,” Frasco told the House committee on appropriations.

House Committee on Tourism chair Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona also expressed disappointment over the measly budget for the DoT which is playing a big role for the economy to grow.

“One thing is very clear, the DOT has this small budget but the expectation is huge. We have heard no less than the President say tourism is one of the drivers for economic development, but how can you be a driver for economic development when you have this much to spend?” he said.

“It is my request that, of course, I will not endorse the P3.2-billion budget of DOT. I am endorsing the maximum of P12.2 billion which I understand is composed of 7.6 billion for Tier 1 and the remaining for Tier 2. I think by then, probably, we can expect a lot of success and I will be very proud, as chairman of the Tourism Committee, to see that our tourism industry here will boom,” Madrona also said.