The Department of Tourism (DOT) hails the inclusion of Boracay Island among Time’s 50 extraordinary destinations to explore in 2022.
“The DOT affirms its pride and honor as Boracay Island once again proved its allure as a tourist haven. Such recognition will surely help us attain our goal of regaining our position in the global market,” Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said.
“Surely, the Philippines has a multitude of sites and tourism activities that we could offer to the world. And, in addition to natural resources, we look forward as well to developing and promoting the talents of our people and the products that have potential for national and global marketability,” she added.
Boracay Island joins other world-famous destinations and natural wonders on the list, including the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Seoul in Korea, and Doha in Qatar, among others.
In 2018, a six-month closure of the island was imposed by the previous administration to make way for rehabilitation and redevelopment initiatives.
“Then the pandemic struck, and the Philippines closed its borders, halting even domestic tourism to Boracay. It took a severe toll on the local economy, but the silver lining was that this 4-sq.-mi. speck in the Visayas island chain had proper time to truly recover. As of February 2022, international visitors can finally revel in this revamped, recuperated, natural playground after what was effectively a three-year convalescence. Locals report the return of flora and fauna, like sea turtles, and hospitality has come back just as spectacularly,” wrote Charlie Campbell of TIME.
“Through collaboration between the DOT central and regional offices, relevant national government agencies, the local government units, and the private sector, we will exert all efforts to put in the limelight not only the country’s premier tourist destinations like Boracay, but also other places of interest in the country which may not have been given equal focus and attention in the past,” Frasco said.
In coming up with its list of 50 World’s Greatest Places for 2022, Time solicited nominations from its international network of correspondents and contributors, putting focus on places “those offering new and exciting experiences.”
Earlier, Frasco encouraged the DOT regional offices in the Visayas and Mindanao to continuously reach out to local government units (LGUs) and stakeholders to ensure the alignment of tourism development initiatives.
In the first leg of her listening tours as tourism chief, Secretary Frasco met with the top officials of DOT Region 6 (Western Visayas), Region 7 (Central Visayas), Region 8 (Eastern Visayas) Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), Region 10 (Northern Mindanao), Region 11 (Davao Region), Region 12 (SOCKSARGEN), and Region 13 (CARAGA) at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu.
“Moving forward, I would want for us, in the same way, that I am reaching out to you, to continuously reach out to our local government officials and local stakeholders because I think that the model for that–which has been Cebu–has proven very successful that even throughout the pandemic, domestic tourism still flourished because DOT Region, the Provincial Government, local government officials, and private stakeholders were all aligned. And it is this alignment that we need across all regions that will spell the success of our endeavors in the Department,” Frasco said.
“The reality is that the success or failure of our industry rests in the success or failure of our regions because this is where our tourist destinations are,” stressed the tourism chief.
To recall, Frasco announced that she will embark on “listening tours” to hear for herself the challenges and problems that besiege the various regions and tourism stakeholders.
Additionally, through the conduct of the tour, the Secretary hopes to start the process of assessing the contemporary challenges in the tourism sector. Fund availability and utilization, tourism infrastructure and transportation were among the issues raised during the discussions with the regional offices.
Frasco has enjoined the consolidation and review of work and financial plans of the Department’s regional offices for the efficient utilization of the Department’s budget.
Pursuing her direction towards promoting better access to tourism destinations, Frasco also assessed the possibility of developing more air and seaports and additional routes to create more convenient connections for domestic and international visitors.
“I’m hopeful as well that you would be open to the innovations we wish to introduce to the Department, if only to fulfill our President’s vision to equalize opportunities for tourism promotion and development across the Philippines. On one hand, to maximize the potential of our already well-known tourist sites and, on the other hand, to further develop areas that have not necessarily been given equal attention”, the tourism chief enthused.
All officials who attended the meeting expressed their appreciation for the consultation process initiated by Frasco. “We are optimistic under this administration seeing that our Secretary is paying close attention to the concerns on the ground. We can feel that she is serious and sincere about improving tourism governance and continuing collaboration with the LGUs,” DOT-Region 10 Director Marie Elaine Unchuan added.
“We are ecstatic about this transition because we have a Secretary who listens. It is important for us to have a Secretary who supports and understands the issues faced by the regions,” said Director Tanya Virginia Rabat-Tan of DOT-Region 11.
Expressing hope that the DOT will be achieving more in terms of benefits for stakeholders, Director Karina Rose Tiopes of DOT-Region 8 stated, “With Secretary Frasco at the helm of the DOT, we are certain that the future is rosy for the tourism industry”.
