Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco emphasizes the significance of local government units (LGUs) in developing sustainable tourism and community development in her keynote address at the 2024 League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Visayas Island Cluster Conference on Tuesday.
Secretary Frasco lauded and appreciated the municipalities in Visayas for their collective efforts towards local governance.
“I would like to thank the League of Municipalities of the Philippines for your continued dedication to local governance, which contributes greatly to the collective progress of our nation. As a former mayor, I have seen firsthand the importance of ensuring that the voices and needs of our municipalities are always front and center in the national consciousness. This experience continues to fuel my advocacy for national policies and programs to prioritize local concerns, aligning them with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s national vision for sustainable tourism development,” said Secretary Frasco.
She urges that the LGUs collaborate to promote local and international tourism successfully. She also emphasizes that the localization of the Sustainable Development Goals requires total effort from the whole nation.
“The localization of the Sustainable Development Goals requires a whole-of-nation approach, collaboration on all levels of governments, and therefore, as municipal leaders, your role in the success of these goals is critical,” she said.
The DOT chief also praises Visayas’ critical role in national tourism, with Central Visayas, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas reaching 44% of tourist arrivals and receiving over 2.45 million tourists in 2023.
The region is also lauded for its innovative tourism infrastructure proposals shown through the Tourism Champions Challenge (TCC), highlighting standout projects from Tubigon, Bohol, for their volcanic plug; Badian, Cebu for its community tourism facility; Southern Leyte for their eco-heritage museum; Victorias City, Negros Occidental for a birdwatching site at Gawahon Ecopark; and Panay, Capiz for their coastal infrastructure project.
Another achievement from Visayas that was noted is its role as a beacon for significant events to boost tourism, namely the Central Philippine Tourism Expo, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), the International Conference on Women in Travel in Bohol, the First UN Tourism Regional Gastronomy Forum, and the UN Tourism Joint Commission Meetings for East Asia, the Pacific, and South Asia.
Frasco reassures the DOT’s dedication to collaborating closely with local government units to accelerate tourism in the Philippines.
“Let us continue to work together to ensure that tourism development in the Visayas brings economic benefits to our people while strengthening the social and environmental communities. Together, we can create resilient communities that offer tourists an authentic, sustainable experience of the Philippines while ensuring our resources are protected for future generations.” Frasco said.
The LMP, established under Section 496 of the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160), is a platform for addressing municipal governance concerns in collaboration with the national government. Its focus is on supporting municipalities in elevating nation-building.
“This conference is proof of our faith in collaboration. Let us take these few days while we are away from our daily grind in our municipalities to reinforce our commitment to LMP, our commitment to each other as partners in progress,” LMP National President and La Paz, Abra Mayor Joseph Bernos shared in his opening message read by LMP Secretary-General and Barcelona, Sorsogon Mayor Cynthia Falcotelo-Fortes.
Along with Frasco, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, Congressman Rodante Marcoleta, Congresswoman Camille Villar, LMP President Emeritus Chavit Singson, and Congresswoman Richelle Singson were significant speakers at the conference.
