AN increasing number of businessmen and a provincial mayor have sought audience with Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco to express support to the Department of Tourism’s programs and projects geared toward the transformation and recovery of the tourism industry days after she unveiled the completed National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023 to 2028.

A team from Huawei Philippines has paid a courtesy call on Frasco where it made a proposal to include the Tourist Lifecycle App in their app gallery and create campaigns both in the Philippines and China to promote the country and entice more Chinese tourists to visit.

The Secretary appreciated Huawei’s desire for partnership stressing the importance of digitalization and connectivity in promoting tourist destinations.

She recalled the President’s efforts in signing the tourism implementation deal when they visited China last January with the intent to boost tourist traffic from China to the Philippines.

CEMEX Holdings, Inc. CEO and President of CEMEX Luis Franco also visited the tourism chief to have a dialogue on building a better and more sustainable future for the industry. CEMEX is a vertically integrated heavy building materials company that is advocating for a more sustainable tourism industry.

The two officials discussed the importance of introducing waste processing methods to tourism stakeholders and welcomed insights on exploring potential collaborations in using blended cement as a cheaper alternative in building sustainable tourism infrastructures and projects such as the Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) in the long run.

“You speak my language, as all of the efforts and initiatives that CEMEX has done address the basic problems and concerns the LGUs face, especially in waste management. It is a simple but revolutionary approach to answer the prevailing concerns of the LGU and the tourism industry,” the tourism chief said.

She added that she is looking forward to the possibilities of partnership with CEMEX and other tourism players who desire the development of more sustainable tourism infrastructures in the country.

Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI) President Jose Luis Yulo Jr. also paid a visit to Frasco to present their strategies to “rebuild the glorious past and navigate the future” of the country.

The Secretary had an insightful discussion with Yulo as the latter shared the presentation on the Economic Compass Pillars 5: The Filipino & Education, Industries & Businesses, The Government, Infrastructure & Environment, and The Economy.

He said these will serve as a continuing guide rooted in CCPI’s long experience as a non-government organization in the Philippines.

Frasco also welcomed Mayor Marisa-Red Martinez of Santa Cruz, Marinduque.

Famous for its Moriones Festival, Martinez said that her town Santa Cruz anticipates a surge in tourists arrivals this coming Holy Week.

Frasco and Martinez had a productive discussion on exploring ways to: improve the town’s local tourism; rehabilitate its notable tourist attractions such as Busay Falls; and further promote the country’s Lenten Festival.

On March 15, Frasco spoke before some 350 attendees from the national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), associations and organizations from the tourism sectors who attended the Tourism Stakeholders’ National Summit to discuss the salient points of the NTDP 2023-2028, which is aimed to transform the Philippines into a tourism powerhouse in Asia.

The Tourism Chief said the NTDP will serve as a blueprint for the strategies on how the Department of Tourism intends to continue and to grow the impact of tourism upon our economy in the next few years.

She said this will be the guidebook of the industry where mechanisms will be put in place for sustainability for many many years to come.

Aside from sustainability, the NTDP will also serve as the guide towards a tourism industry that is innovative, inclusive, and globally competitive, according to Frasco.

“Under the leadership of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. we have been called upon to transform the Philippine [tourism industry] into a tourism powerhouse in Asia. With your partnership, collaboration, and your unwavering support, I can say that we have begun the work of transforming the industry and giving the Philippines a more significant role in the ASEAN and in the world,” she added.

The Plan formalizes the specific strategies to be pursued under the main objectives and strategies that were earlier laid out by the DOT under the leadership of Frasco, and anchors on the strategic values of Philippine Identity, Sustainability, Resilience, and Global Competitiveness.