ADDRESSING guests at the second Mindanao Tourism Expo (MTEx) in Cagayan de Oro City, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco on Friday (Apr. 26) emphasized the pivotal role of Mindanao in the Philippines’ tourism transformation.
“The Mindanao Tourism Expo is a flagship program of the Marcos administration that recognizes the massive potential of Mindanao to help the Philippines accomplish the President’s vision of transformation nga ang Pilipinas mao ang himoang sunod nga Asia’s next tourism powerhouse. Naa dinhi ang Mindanao ang susi sa kalambuan sa atung turismo,” said Secretary Frasco.
Highlighting the unrivaled sights, delectable cuisine, rich and diverse culture, biodiversity, and the warmth and hospitality of people across the provinces Mindanao, Secretary Frasco shared that one of the first things she saw as a priority upon her assumption of role as DOT chief is the full opening, promotion, and development of Mindanao.
“𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱–𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹–𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗼–𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼,” DOT chief enthused.
According to Secretary Frasco, in addition to the expo component which is participated in by the various regions across the Philippines to boost domestic tourism, business-to-business, business-to-consumer, and post-familiarization tour components also make up the three-day MTEx.
“𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗸𝗮𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗶𝗶𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗴𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗴𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗶 𝘀𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼, 𝗱𝗮𝗱–𝗼 𝗻𝗶𝗹𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗮𝗮𝘆𝗼 𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗴𝗮 𝗹𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗻𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗼,” the DOT chief said.
In line with the National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) 2023-2028 of the Marcos administration, the DOT has prioritized the most basic components for the country’s tourism development, including infrastructure, connectivity, digitalization, enhancement of tourist experience, and stronger tourism governance between public and private tourism stakeholders.
Identified by the President as urgent, the DOT has embarked on enhancing the overall tourist experience, Secretary Frasco shared, launching Tourist Rest Areas (TRAs) across the Philippines, with two from the initial batch of TRAs constructed in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and Island Garden City of Samal (IGaCoS) in Davao del Norte, while constructing more in other provinces in Mindanao within the year.
In strengthening tourism governance, the DOT has launched the Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC) which seeks to incentivize tourism projects of local government units (LGUs) that are sustainable, inclusive, and resilient, including five (5) from Mindanao.
The Department also launched its nationwide cultural tourism product development program called the Philippine Experience Program (PEP), which intends to herald all there is to love about the Philippines in all aspects of the travel and tourism experience, seeing successful runs in Davao Region last year, and Zamboanga Peninsula earlier this year, inviting tourism stakeholders, travel and tour operators, media and members of the diplomatic corps.
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 2023 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺,” Secretary Frasco concluded.
