CEBU CITY — With no less than top foreign military officers asserting that Dapitan is a safe and secure place, officials are hoping that the city will be finally open to foreign tourists.
Mayor Seth Frederick Jalosjos said the city has been hoping that the travel ban issued against the city and other areas in Mindanao several years ago will be lifted following the city’s hosting of the recent 2nd Semester Foreign Armed Forces Attaché (FAFA) Corps Tour.
THE Punto del Desemebraco de Rizal en Dapitan is one of the heritage sites that defense attachés and assistant defense attachés and secretaries from Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, and Poland visited during the recent 2nd Semester Foreign Armed Forces Attaché (FAFA) Corps Tour in Dapitan City. (Photo via Calvin D. Cordova)
Jalosjos said the city’s hosting of the FAFA Corps Tour was a big step towards achieving the goal that Dapitan will be finally opened to foreign tourists.
“We are so happy that the time has come. We have worked so hard, the province and the City of Dapitan, in inviting people and officials just like this to help us maybe lift the travel advisory ban of their countries,” said Jalosjos.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines led by chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. spearheaded the holding of the tour in Dapitan.
The tour was participated in by 16 defense attachés and assistant defense attachés and secretaries from Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Germany, and Poland.
Jalosjos said the participating FAFAs were one in saying that Dapitan is actually a safe and secure place for tourists.
“We are blessed, lucky, and honored that the FAFAs are here to advise their ambassadors, their countries that Dapitan is safe…and Zamboanga del Norte. This is why we held an event such as this to host all these officials and we’re so happy that all their comments are all praises, all their comments are all saying that right when they get home, they will advise their country, their ambassador to already lift the ban especially here in Dapitan City,” Jalosjos added.
Jalosjos said that Dapitan has so much to offer when it comes to tourist attractions but the travel ban has been a big hindrance to showcase to foreign tourists.
“It will be very hard for us to promote our city. Although we have all the beautiful sceneries, all the beautiful landmarks, all the historical stories that we have to tell, the problem is always the stigma and the travel advisory ban of all these countries,” Jalosjos said.
Jalosjos said Dapitan is vital to the country’s campaign to attract more tourists as the city is the gateway to and from the Visayas and Mindanao.
“It's very important that we lift the ban here in Dapitan because Dapitan is not only the Shrine City of the Philippines but it is also the gateway to and from the Visayas to Mindanao. In the Visayas, there is no more travel ban. They are enjoying all the perks, all the tourists, foreign tourists in Siquijor, in Bohol, in Dumaguete, yet they cannot go within a stone's reach here in Dapitan,” said Jalosjos.