By BERNA ROMULO PUYAT, Tourism Secretary
There was a time, back when I was an undersecretary at the Department of Agriculture, that I thought the Tourism Secretary must have the best job. Their portfolio is the entire Philippines, a beautiful country with friendly, hospitable people. All one needs to do is make these wonderful qualities known to the world.
Now that I’ve been in the role for four years – the last two spent coping with a devastating pandemic – you might think that I changed my mind. My term as Tourism Secretary has certainly had its ups and downs, but to be honest, my convictions have only grown stronger— it is the best job, especially because of the tough moments. I’m proud of how the government and the private sector have become true partners in the accomplishments and the challenges that we’ve overcome in the tourism sector together.
Just a month before I was appointed DOT Secretary in May of 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte had ordered the closure of Boracay, the crown jewel of Philippine tourism, for a much-needed rehabilitation. Boracay drew millions of tourists over the years, which on the surface is a positive thing, but the neglect of sound environmental practices led to its degradation, in effect destroying what made the island so magical, so idyllic in the first place.
The valuable lessons learned from Boracay became a template for the development and conservation of our other prime destinations. More people became aware of the dangers of overtourism, and Boracay became a model of resilience and sustainability all over the region.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the reopening of Boracay in late 2018, as well as the relaunch of the popular “It’s More Fun in Philippines” campaign in early 2019, led to the Philippines’ most successful year in terms of tourism. Many of the world’s tourists are familiar with Boracay, but not much beyond that. Our campaigns at the time began to highlight other aspects of our country, not just our destinations but our unique culture, cuisine, and traditions as well.
By the end of 2019, we welcomed 8.26 million foreign visitors to our shores and recorded over 110 million domestic trips, our highest ever. Tourism contributed to 12.8 percent of our GDP, but what I’m most grateful for is that tourism generated 5.71 million jobs for Filipinos, giving them decent livelihoods to support themselves and their families and improve their standard of living.
Unfortunately, this “golden” period didn’t last long. As 2020 rolled in, the industry’s worst nightmare had just begun to unfold. I’ll never forget those sleepless nights in the early stages of the pandemic, dealing with stranded, panicking tourists and finding ways to bring them back to safety. It was also during this time where I saw the Bayanihan spirit at work; Filipinos from all segments of society lent a hand and helped in whatever way they could to bring relief to those who needed it most.
During this time, I also remember seeing pictures of our empty destinations pop up on my social media feed. The pandemic, ironically, gave our tourism areas some breathing space to recover. It was obvious that a paradigm shift was required, and we needed to move away from mass tourism and instead provide more personalized and meaningful experiences that resonate with traveler’s changing priorities.
Slowly but surely – a phrase I liked to repeat often as we fine-tuned and executed our recovery strategies – destinations began to reopen after the thorough process of consulting and working closely with local governments, stakeholders, and community representatives. We made a big push for domestic tourism, based on the data that it is our local travelers who contribute a much larger portion to tourism revenue. The DOT accredited establishments that conformed to health and safety standards, upskilled our tourism workers for operations in the new normal, and expedited the vaccination of our tourism workers.
Today, 98 percent of our tourism workers have been fully vaccinated. It was vitally important to protect our workers, especially the frontliners at our ports and destinations, and the staff at quarantine facilities. Getting them vaccinated and boosted at the soonest possible time was essential to building momentum for our recovery efforts.
After Omicron caused a slight delay in reopening our borders to international tourism in late 2021, we were finally able to accept foreign travelers for leisure starting Feb. 10. As of May 23, 2022, over half a million foreign tourists have entered the country, pleasantly surpassing the DOT’s expectations.
So, why are the world’s revenge travelers seem to be making a beeline for the Philippines? Apart from the promise of how much #MoreFunAwaits, it’s also because we have one of the most streamlined entry processes in Southeast Asia. Even so, the Philippines continues to have the one of the lowest new daily COVID cases in the region.
Last April, we had a chance to back up our talk with action as we hosted the prestigious World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit in Manila. We showed the world’s travel and tourism leaders and decision makers what the Philippine tourism industry was all about – our ability to deliver safe and seamless travel experiences, the diversity of our culture and our heritage, our multi-layered cuisine and our world-class talents—and I knew that the country was on the right track, in fact leading the pack in the safe resumption of international tourism.
At the summit, the issues of sustainable tourism and regenerative tourism permeated every topic and panel discussion. The latter of which the DOT has been pushing for in the industry – to involve tourists in leaving a destination in a better state than before.
I also believe that responsibility is not just about caring for the environment, but in making careful use of the resources that we have been entrusted with.
For two years in a row, the DOT received an “unqualified opinion” rating from the Commission on Audit, a testament that we have been operating with the highest degree of accountability and transparency. Restoring the public’s trust in the DOT was one of the first tasks entrusted to me. Four years later, with the COA to back me up, I think I can safely say mission accomplished!
Leaving any job is always bittersweet, but I’m happy to be handing over to the succeeding administration a department that operates with honesty, integrity, and always with the public’s best interests at heart.
It has been an absolute honor representing the nation’s tourism industry. In my four years as DOT Secretary, I have traveled the width and breadth of our wonderful country, with every trip a joyful discovery, a marvel for all the senses, a celebration of what our people can offer to the world. And even after I step down from this office, I’ll never stop representing the Philippines.