DOT Sec. Christina Garcia-Frasco
Frasco gets award for good governance
TOURISM Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco on Thursday received the SKAL Tourism Award for Good Tourism Governance from SKAL International, a worldwide association of travel and tourism professionals.
In her keynote speech at the 31st Anniversary of the SKAL International, Frasco commended SKAL International’s contributions to the global tourism industry, emphasizing the crucial role of tourism governance in the country’s tourism resurgence.
“No doubt, the work that SKAL (International) has been doing in its 42 years of existence has contributed greatly to the global appreciation and continuing demand for Philippine tourism,” the Tourism chief said.
She noted that the existence of the organization reflects the many decades of “dedication, sacrifice and hard work that has served as the firm foundation from which Philippine tourism has become known all over the world as a preferred destination.”
Tourism governance has been one of the DOT’s seven objectives under the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028 approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., recognizing the massive contribution of the private sector in all aspects of the tourism value chain, such as in informing government policies and implementation of programs that aim to grow the industry, Frasco said.
SKAL International, led by its President Farid Schoucair, Vice President Angel Ramos Bognot, Treasurer Cynthia Carrion, Director Menchie Orobia, Director Mike Albaña, and SKAL International-Makati Chapter Chair and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista, presented the SKAL Tourism Award for Good Tourism Governance to Frasco, citing her leadership that introduced “easier, friendlier and flavorful incentives to attract all stakeholders to be closer to the DOT.”
“She warmed the hearts of her DOT employees and together, in unity and one force, worked efficiently under the mandate of the Department,” the organization said during the awarding.
“This award is of such great significance to me, personally, because shared tourism governance is an advocacy that I myself have pushed from my experience as a local chief executive prior to becoming Secretary, where I saw the necessity of close collaboration between the national government, the local government, as well as our private stakeholders and our tourism communities,” Secretary Frasco said as she accepted the award.
“Really, it is only by way of all of us coming together to converge and collaborate that we will be able to achieve our President’s vision of transforming the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia,” she added.
