The Department of Tourism (DOT) has launched an incentive program aimed at encouraging overseas Filipinos to tag along friends and family members when they return back to the country for vacation.
DOT Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco said the program, which was done in coordination with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), is part of the aggressive promotion of Philippine tourism in a bid to revive the industry following the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Based on the agreement signed between the DOT and the DMW under the “Bisita, Be My Guest” (BBMG) Program, all returning overseas Filipinos who could bring home a foreign friend, spouse, or family member, will be given a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes that include like condominium units, cars, holiday vacation tour packages and discount coupons.
The discount coupons can be used in various malls, accommodation establishments, and restaurants all over the country.
In her address at the campaign launching at the SM Mall of Asia Activity Center on Thursday, Dec. 15, Frasco said the BBMG program will showcase the heartfelt culture of Filipino people in terms of hospitality, compassion, and family-oriented values.
“By combining the aspects of rebuilding trust and confidence in traveling to the country; working hand in hand with our stakeholders, adapting products and services as well as the shift to digital, we are empowering fellow Filipinos to become part of nation-building by inviting visitors to visit the country through our online referral program,” said Frasco.
“We envision the Bisita, Be My Guest Program as the Filipinos’ way of showing their love for the country as we invite visitors to our homes, show them the beauty of our landscapes and beaches, our culture and heritage, and let them experience world-class Filipino hospitality,” she added.
The DOT is also issuing a ‘travel passport’ to balikbayans and visiting OFWs. The travel passport has a portion for the stamp to record wherever destinations they visited.
"This allows them to claim prizes at the airport and participants of the program could either be a sponsor or an invitee," according to Frasco.
For her part, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, who was also at the event, emphasized the BBMG’s role in empowering overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in helping the country’s tourism industry.
“ behalf of the Department of Migrant Workers, behalf of the OFWs that we represent and the families that they belong to, I just want to say, let’s make this work. Let this be a ‘pambansang’ effort to bring as many guests as possible and to make every OFW feel special as Philippine tourism ambassadors,” Ople noted.
Through a pre-recorded message, First Lady Louise "Liza" Araneta Marcos lauded the launching of the BBMG program.
"We all know that Filipinos are the Most Hospitable people in the world and I’m sure this will be a great factor in the success of this program. We really need to bring in more tourists to the Philippines because we want to show how hospitable we are, how kind we are, and how good we are at letting them feel at home. So thank you, DOT Officials. Thank you everyone for launching this project, which I’m sure will benefit the country," the First Lady said.
Vice President Sara Duterte also manifested her support to the DOT and its partner agencies who likewise shared her wisdom in a pre-recorded message.
“I trust that this program will create a wide avenue for the development of our tourism industries, while it seeks to provide excellent travel packages to foreign and domestic visitors. May your concerted efforts in this regard promote the beauty of our country’s destinations and sustain the progress of our local communities in various regions,” Duterte furthered.
The year-long promotion of the DOT, DMW incentive program will be from Jan. 1, 2023, to April 30, 2024.
The mechanics, as well as registration information for sponsors and invitees, are found on the official BBMG website: http://bbmg.philippines.travel.
The BBM Guest Program is patterned after the Bring Home a Friend (BHAF) program launched under the term of Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor (1996-1998), then re-introduced by former DOT chief Wanda Tulfo Teo in October 2017.
PH tourism trajectory
As of December 15, 2022, the tourism industry has breached the two million guest arrivals, with the official count at 2,397,919 air visitors.
Most visitors came from the United States with 447,278 visitors, followed by South Korea at 374,097, then Australia (118,228), Canada (109,041), and the United Kingdom (90,196).
The Tourism department noted that the easing of travel restrictions and some health policies also contributed to the yielding of high tourism revenues amounting to P130 billion as of November 16, this year.
Frasco said the DOT is gunning to re-introduce Philippine tourism in the global spectacle amid the life-changing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Now as travel restrictions have eased, we look forward to inviting our foreign friends and guests to visit our country and to offer a wide range of culturally rich experiences along with all types of outdoor recreational activities on water and on land,” Frasco uttered.