Solons laud DOT’s efforts to boost halal tourism

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is committed to developing Muslim-friendly tourism in the Philippines.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco made the announcement during the 19th Congress’ Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Proposed FY 2025 Budget of the DOT on Tuesday (August 20), where she received commendations from members of the House of Representatives, particularly for her leadership in promoting halal tourism in the country.

Representative Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte expressed his admiration for the DOT’s proactive measures under Secretary Frasco’s leadership, emphasizing the significant strides made in attracting Muslim travelers from around the globe, noting the potential Muslim tourists from the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) sub-regional cooperation initiative.

Under Secretary Frasco's leadership, the DOT has introduced several key initiatives to enhance the country's appeal as a halal and Muslim-friendly destination. Among these is the recent release of the Memorandum Circular No. 2020 – 010 or the Guidelines Governing the Operations and Recognition of Muslim-friendly accommodation Establishments, which aims to set standards for accommodations, restaurants, and services that cater to the specific needs of Muslim travelers.

Secretary Frasco emphasized, "It all begins with improving infrastructure and services that will cater to the specific needs of the halal and Muslim-friendly traveler." She added, "The good news is that the private sector has responded very positively to this endeavor, whereby we recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Megaworld where they have committed to converting all of their 13 properties across the country to become Muslim-friendly."

Cong. Dimaporo expressed his admiration for these efforts, stating, "I've never heard this type of initiative from previous secretaries before, and I'm truly impressed by the DOT's commitment to making the Philippines more Muslim-friendly. This is a significant step forward for our tourism industry."

Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur Representative Zio Alonto Adiong expressed optimism over the DOT’s halal initiatives, “I congratulate you Madam Secretary for investing in the halal industry. I do not know about the previous administration, but in this case, we felt that with Sec. Frasco, she’s interested in investing so much in the halal industry, and rightly so, because this is a new, emerging, market.”